Behind Her Smile
by VAdarkwind
Summary: What's hidden behind her smile? At Rosethorn Academy, Elsa Wynters is the new girl, shy and unnoticed. Jackson Overland is the school jock, popular and outgoing. They hate each other at first glances, but Jack is determined to find out who is the girl who lurks underneath that smile.
1. Rosethorn Academy

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 1 - Rosethorn Academy  
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 **"And my heart beats loud like a thousand drums.** **Feeling love like the city where I come from.** **I've got a hole in my heart that I can't explain for you." ~Excerpt from _Set Me On Fire,_ Thousand Foot Krutch  
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 **A/N: Hey, my name is Darkwind, but you may call me Darky. I don't have much to say except for the fact that this is my first 'Frozen' and 'RotG' fanfiction. I've actually never watched 'RotG' and just knew it because I heard the word 'Jelsa' uttered somewhere. I, being my overly curious self, just had to find out what it was. And guess what? I shipped the two the moment I laid eyes on them. I read a few fics about them, and I discovered a few things about Jack. So there's that.  
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 **So don't hate me too much if I get a few things messed up. Enjoy. ;)**

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Elsa glanced once at her sister Anna before continuing the torture of prodding her untouched stack of pancakes. She bit her lip and forced herself to calm down. _Everything's alright. It's just a new, prestigious school. No need to worry._ But, like the first hundred times, she could not calm herself down. Elsa exchanged an uneasy glance with Anna, but after that, Anna was back to digging in her breakfast. Elsa choked down her uneasy, almost hysterical laugh.

"Anna, I don't see how you have such an appetite," Elsa mused.

Anna glanced up and grinned. "I don't see how you _don't_ have an appetite."

"You know me," Elsa murmured, twisting a lock of her pale, platinum hair with her fingers in a nervous frenzy, "always nervous." Elsa took a deep breath and looked out the window. Fresh snowflakes had fallen out of the window, and Elsa could feel the shadow of her whole feature creep down over her. Elsa got up, and Anna shot her an inquiring look. "I'm going to finish packing," Elsa forced out.

Anna paused. "I—alright."

Elsa practically sprinted towards her room. She sank into her bed and stared at the ceiling for several helpless heartbeats. Then, she got up and stared at her suitcase. It was a lovely azure, pale and gleaming all at once—which was precisely why Elsa had chosen it. She had already packed, but she just needed to escape. Anna was always the more social one—the one who had a jubilant spirit that brought others towards her.

And Elsa? Not so much.

Elsa wasn't _that_ exultant, but she wasn't as easy to smile like her sister. Anna's straw-berry blonde locks and wide, blue eyes always drew people close. Elsa stared at her reflection, which stared back pathetically at her. Her hair was a platinum so pale and white that it was almost the color of freshly fallen snow. Her blue eyes—the same eyes as Anna's—were wide, but there was something haunted in them.

The sisters shared a few traits here and there—the high cheekbones, the same wide, blue eyes, the full lips—but they were very different. Anna was more outgoing and full of life. Elsa, on the other hand, felt like her younger sister's complete opposite. Elsa was the shy, quiet girl that no one really noticed at all. People had told her that she was beautiful, but Elsa was far too bashful to say much at all.

Elsa could fake a smile when she wanted to—to prove to everyone that she was okay—and they would believe her, they would be reassured. Even _Anna_ couldn't see behind that faked smile and forced cheerfulness. And it could get very lonely. Elsa felt that she stood out a lot. Everyone around here had the usual hair colors: golden blonde, raven, brunette, and yeah, a few strawberry-blondes here and there while Elsa… while Elsa had her paler-than-platinum hair.

Elsa took a deep breath. Her long hair was swept up in her usual braid, but now, Elsa felt that that made her stand out even more so. She undid the braid and let her hair flow in long, platinum waves down her back and cascading gracefully down to nearly her waist. Her hair had the slightest of natural curliness to it, and Elsa ran a hand through her soft locks with a sort of wistfulness.

Elsa quickly picked up her Rosethorn uniform. It consisted of a crisp white blouse, a black, knee-length skirt complete with a belt, and a leather jacket. The uniform was utterly business, and Elsa, with some distaste, put it on. She pulled the leather jacket on her, and it fit her snugly. She took a deep breath and ran a comb through her hair. It was… acceptable at the very least, right?

Elsa hurried back to the kitchen with her suitcase to see Anna, all suited up, with a suitcase of her own. Anna's overall feelings seemed quite upbeat, and Elsa didn't want to ruin her sister's excitement. Anna smiled, and Elsa smiled back, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Elsa locked eyes with her sister. Azure met crystalline. They had done this many times before, and Elsa was glad, that even through everything, they still bonded like this.

"Are you excited?" Elsa asked.

"Definitely!" Anna exclaimed ecstatically.

The two headed outside. Elsa's breath created a cloud. It was _cold._ Elsa locked the door behind them. They were going to live at the academy now. She stared at the old wooden door wistfully as Anna tugged on her arm. Her parents headed to work very early in the morning, but Elsa felt that they should've at least come to say good-bye to her and Anna. Oh well. It was just as well. The girls had to learn to be independent.

"Come on, Elsa," Anna urged.

Elsa's vivid gaze slid over to her sister. She nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

The girls walked over to the Rosethorn bus stop. They made a very conspicuous pair indeed. With Elsa's wintry platinum hair and Anna's strawberry-blonde locks, both were very noticeable—especially when they were together. The bus pulled up, and a wistful smile curled up onto Elsa's delicate full lips. Anna practically sprinted into the bus whereas Elsa stepped up in a smooth, polite manner. The girls seated themselves somewhere in the middle—it was the only seat they could agree on considering the fact that Elsa liked sitting in the back where she could read alone whereas Anna craved the front for the attention.

The bus itself was very clean—it gave Elsa the same feel that the uniform gave her: brisk, competent, and graceful. Everyone was dressed in the uniform, and Elsa shifted uncomfortable as she sat in her window seat. She heard voices to the side of her and tilted her head to see two graceful figures. They were both girls and were undeniably very good friends.

One had extremely long golden-blonde hair that was twisted into a long braid that draped at her feet. Ribbons wove in and out of the girl's hair, and Elsa could've sworn that the black and white ribbons would've been flowers if not for the school's briskness. The girl had pale, jade-green eyes, and Elsa felt herself redden as the girl caught her gaze. But the girl merely nodded in a show of a polite acquaintance. Elsa nodded back in greeting, and the other girl turned back to her best friend.

The long-haired girl's friend was very conspicuous. She had a dark complexion and was very pretty. Her raven-black hair cascaded gracefully down her back, and she had full lips that were glossed to perfection. A perpetually cool smile played on her lips, and her eyes were chocolate-brown. Her build was lithe and graceful, and Elsa found herself feeling wistful.

"But Rapunzel," the raven-haired girl was saying, "you _know_ that Flynn said that he would be out of town for the first few days. There's no way he's going to make it at Rosethorn until... say, a week or two. I mean, you _know_ how Flynn is." The girl shook her head in disapproval. "You have bad taste in guys. If you want to check someone out, you should be checking out Jackson Overland."

The long-haired girl, Rapunzel, was practically gushing. No, scratch that, Rapunzel _was_ gushing. "Jack is literally _the_ hottest, Tiana," she said. "But you _know_ I've got a thing for Flynn. He's got the most handsome face ever!" Rapunzel sighed dreamily. "I mean, Jack is hot and all. I mean, his eyes alone are the frostiest of blues, and his hair is the color of snowflakes, but Flynn is just so _dreamy!"_

"Is to!" Tiana argued. "I mean, Flynn's got the weirdest face in history!"

"No, he _doesn't!"_ Rapunzel protested. "His gaze is _smoky."_

"Flynn's ego is as big as the bottles of hair gel he uses each day!" Tiana fumed.

Elsa found herself smiling at the girls' conversation. She turned back to the window, hiding her smile. The smile felt unnatural on her face—maybe because it was the first genuine smile she had smiled in a long time. She took a deep breath. Perhaps Rosethorn Academy wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Maybe it would be fun, too.

"Elsa, we're almost there!" Anna squealed gleefully.

Elsa peered out the window to see Rosethorn Academy. It was vast and grand. It looked more like a palace than an academy, but it was beautiful in a sort of dark way. Crimson-colored roses decorated the exterior of several towers, and Elsa felt her breath get caught as the bus pulled up and came to a brisk stop at the academy. Freshly fallen snow decorated the academy, adding a wonderful winter touch. Elsa blushed. Talk about starting junior year in a vast academy when you had spent the first two years of high school in a small little school. It was a _huge_ change.

"Hello, and welcome to Rosethorn Academy!" a petite voice called out. Elsa peered through crowds of students to see a very elegant woman. She had a kind but all business face with soft pearly-white hair in a pixie cut. She was wearing formal clothes branded with the Rosethorn Academy logo, which was an intricate rose with the black letters "RA" on top of it. "For all of you who don't know me, I'm Fairy Godmother," the woman said in her soft tone.

Elsa exchanged a glance with Anna, who merely shrugged. Elsa heard a voice behind her.

"Is she some sort of joke?"

Elsa stiffened and shifted slightly so that her pale, platinum hair fell over her face like an angelic curtain. She had a clear—inasmuch as that could be considering her hair was covering her face—view of who had said it. It was a boy, and he had a boastful smirk on his face. His hair was crisp and white as freshly fallen snow—even paler than Elsa's. His eyes were a wonderfully frosty blue, but there was something about his tone that Elsa did _not_ like.

"I mean, is 'Fairy Godmother' _seriously_ her name?" Frosty Eyes continued. "It's a joke, right?" His friends laughed, and some other students turned to look at him. The statement itself wasn't nice at all, but Frosty Eyes seemed to have a charisma that drew others to him. Everyone was either smiling at the boy or laughing. Even _Anna_ was hiding a smile. Elsa scowled. What was Frosty Eyes' deal?

"Jack," said a boy next to Frosty Eyes, "do you remember that time you put that hamster on her computer?"

Frosty Eyes—or Jack, as the other boy had said his name was—snickered. "Well duh, Eric. Man, you remember how high she screamed, right?" Jack cleared his throat in a massive gesture that earned some snorts of laughter from guys and giggles from girls. Then, Jack screamed in a really high-pitched voice. Laughter erupted across the clearing, and Jack looked very pleased with himself.

Elsa turned away, scowling. Two seconds into the academy, and she already found someone she resented. Great. Just great.

"Everyone, please go to your dorms and settle down. Classes will start tomorrow. You will all be expected to attend them with the proper attire and whatnot," Fairy Godmother said, apparently oblivious to Jack's comment. It was either that, or Fairy Godmother simply didn't care about a high school boy's verdicts and comments. Elsa smiled. She liked the Fairy Godmother. Her spirit was certainly bold, a quality Elsa would've liked to have.

Elsa split paths with Anna—each student had their own dorm because apparently, Rosethorn Academy was big enough to hold everyone in it—and headed over to her own room. The room was pretty big—it had enough room for Elsa to pace in. There was a little balcony, and a huge bed. There was a small washroom and a magnificent closet. The washroom's floor was tiled to perfection, and a woody scent emanated from every single room. It was rather reassuring.

The whole room itself was quite impressive. The bathroom was a pattern of black and white. Black and whites decorated the ground as a black and white striped pattern decorated the walls of the bathroom. But there were hints of crimson—like the cap of a perfume bottle or the doorknobs—that made everything stand out like a fine piece of art. Rubies were ingrained into the tub, making it sparkle, and the lights glowed with a vibrant crimson, sending crimson light to brighten the room.

"They really thought of everything," Elsa murmured to herself as she headed back to her room. Her bed was on one side of the dorm, and there was a couch and flat-screen TV on the other side. It was like living in luxury. No, scratch that. It _was_ living in luxury—there was no 'like' about it considering the massive dorm. Elsa glanced over at the balcony. Its doorknobs glowed a vibrant scarlet in the bright morning light.

It was very generous of the Fairy Godmother to give them an _entire day_ to get used to the place. Of course, although Elsa wanted to bathe in the luxury for the rest of the day, she knew that she had to give herself a quick tour of the academy—and considering its size, it would definitely take a while. No matter though. Elsa loved taking walks—it gave her a lot to ponder about.

She headed out of the dorm, locking it with a silver key that had rubies ingrained in the hilt. She slipped the key into her tote bag and pulled out the map that she had seen lying on the bed neatly which she had stuffed hastily in her bag. Elsa's eyes widened so much that she swore if she could see herself, she would see the whites around her crystalline irises. The map unraveled into something far more massive than Elsa had ever anticipated.

Elsa struggled with the map for a few minutes before she heard a voice call out, "Need some help there?"

Elsa turned to see someone. The girl had long, golden-blonde hair and unmistakable jade-green eyes. Elsa's eyes widened in recognition. A soft, shy smile curled up onto Elsa's lips as she turned to appraise the girl. "You're... Rapunzel, aren't you?" Elsa murmured, her attention off her map for a heartbeat. Rapunzel had a friendly air around her.

Rapunzel grinned. "Yup, that's me! You were that girl on the bus. What's your name?"

Elsa blushed, flustered. "My name is Elsa. Elsa Solange Wynters," Elsa said, reddening.

"Elsa," Rapunzel mused. "That's a pretty name." Rapunzel's grin widened. "And your last name fits you, too!"

"Thanks," Elsa murmured. She found her gaze turning to Rapunzel's too-long braided hair once more and blushed furiously once Rapunzel caught her gaze in a knowing way. "You have, um, very nice hair," Elsa said, feeling a bit awkward. Rapunzel's hair was a little more than just 'nice.' It was gorgeous, catching the sunlight and spinning around with a million shades of golden. It was an aura upon itself.

"Oh, thanks!" Rapunzel said brightly, grinning. "Let me show you around."

Elsa grinned. "Thanks!"

"So," Rapunzel said as she led Elsa to who knows where, "have you seen any cute guys around here? I mean, sure you just got here, like, five minutes ago, but all the guys are cute, right?" Rapunzel frowned, and Elsa struggled to keep up with the girl's fast talking. "I mean, everyone pretty much finds their soul mate here." Rapunzel sighed dreamily. "I know who _I_ think is the one for me."

Elsa frowned. "I don't believe in soul mates," she said firmly.

Rapunzel looked disappointed. "Oh well." Then, she perked up. "That's what Ariel said. And then, she found Eric. They're dating now, and all Ariel does is gush about how handsome and nice he is. So you'll probably discover your soul mate by the end of the year. You know who _my_ soul mate is? His name is Flynn Rider, and he is absolutely gorgeous!"

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. "Are guys _supposed_ to be gorgeous?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "Guys can be whatever you want them to be, and—" Rapunzel's sharp gaze went dreamy as her gaze landed on someone ahead of them. Elsa looked up to see pale, snow-colored hair, wintry, frosty orbs, and a perpetual smirk. Elsa bit her lip to stop from scowling. Rapunzel smiled, waving. "Hey, Jack. What's up?" Rapunzel was uncharacteristically silent.

Jack grinned, eyes flashing. "Hey, Rachel," he said.

"Rapunzel," Rapunzel corrected, still grinning like a fool.

"Right," Jack said coolly. "Rapunzel. Long hair. Green eyes." He winked, and Elsa tried to ignore the fury that swarmed in her stomach. This—this _jerk_ didn't even know Rapunzel's name, and Rapunzel was just _gushing_ over him? Rosethorn Academy was all sorts of crazy. Jack's gaze flicked to Elsa before he turned back to Rapunzel. "Who's your friend?"

"That's Elsa," Rapunzel said. "Elsa Solange Wynters."

"Ah," Jack said, his sharp gaze boring into Elsa's. "Aren't you just a little snow queen?" he said, voice the tiniest bit mocking. Elsa bit her lip, resisting the overwhelmingly strong urge to punch Jack's pretty face. How would his pretty face look with a bruise the size of her fist? Of course, there was no one Elsa was going to get expelled from Rosethorn Academy on her _first day,_ so she held her tongue and merely curled her fists. "You know," Jack mused, "your middle name should be 'Snow Queen.' Elsa Snow Queen Wynters." His smirk grew. "Has a nice ring to it."

Elsa stiffened. "Are you _always_ trying to seek approval?" she asked icily.

Jack's cocky demeanor became colder. His gaze bore into hers. "What's your problem?" he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Can't you take a joke, Snow Queen?"

"For your information, my name is Elsa, and you didn't mean it as a joke. You _wanted_ to make fun of me. Don't you have anything better to do?" Elsa said, crossing her arms. Jackson Overland was really pissing her off now. "But I guess you'd know all about problems considering"—Elsa looked at him head to toe—" _that."_

Jack looked mad now. "Who do you think you _are?"_

"Someone who wants nothing to do with _you,"_ Elsa said, injecting genuine steel in her voice.

Jack's gaze grew frosty. "Then you're a hell of a lot more stupid than I thought you were," Jack snapped.

"You don't think I'm stupid at all," Elsa said frostily. "You're just trying to soothe your hurt pride. But I guess you have the rest of the academy to stomp upon, right? Well, alright. Do what you want with them—at least _they"_ _—_ scorn dripped off the word 'they'—"enjoy it. But stay away from _me._ You have enough play things here."

Jack's hands curled into fists. "Oh, you do _not_ want to mess with me."

"Doesn't seem like there's much to mess with," Elsa said, feeling stupid at saying that. Somehow, this—this sadistic _person_ could draw furious emotions from within Elsa, causing her to explode. She considered herself as this shy girl, and she wanted to keep a low profile. That was all out the window. Jack seemed like one of the most popular kids, and... he _could_ make others shun her considering his charisma.

But there was no backing out now.

Jack's gaze narrowed as it landed on her. They locked gazes, and Elsa shivered at the iciness in his beautiful, frosty orbs. As much as Elsa hated him, she had to admit that he was the very apt definition of hot. Snow-colored hair, beautiful, long-lashed, frosty orbs for eyes, narrow face and cheekbones, pale complexion that complemented the rest of him.

But then, all of a sudden, his narrowed gaze widened. He frowned, as if he was truly scrutinizing her. Elsa felt her palms heat under his gaze. It was like his gaze was searing right through her eyes, right through her heart and into her soul. Elsa would usually blush at the intensity of a guy's gaze—a incredibly hot guy's gaze—on her, but this time, she didn't. She merely observed him, too. Jack Overland was hotter than he had any right to be.

His gaze narrowed. Then, he turned to Rapunzel and nodded at her, smirk and charm tuned back on. "See ya, Ronnie." Then, he turned to Elsa, and his gaze darkened, as if he thought that she was a puzzle that he just couldn't figure out. A sneer curled onto his lips as he stared at her, and Elsa felt herself heat up under his gaze. Then, he brushed past her, disappearing into the dark abyss.

"It's Rapunzel!" Rapunzel called after him, and Jack merely raised a hand that showed that he heard. Elsa felt herself flush furiously as she saw Rapunzel stare at her. "You just stood up Jackson Overland, one of the hottest guys in the universe. Elsa, I've never seen him look at a girl like that. Usually, it's like he's checking them out, but for you? It was different."

Elsa shook her head firmly. "Yeah, it was. He hates me." She glanced away and mumbled, "I don't know why I did all that. That's not like me."

Rapunzel whistled. "You know, if you didn't hate him, and if he didn't hate you, you two would make a pretty cute couple." Elsa's jaw dropped, and she could only open and close her mouth like a fish for several heartbeats. "I mean, you two look great for each other. He's like... the snow king or something, and you're—like he said—the snow queen."

Elsa shuddered. "Don't say that _ever again."_

"Come _on,"_ Rapunzel said, mouth twisting into a smile. "You seriously can't think that you two don't look made for each other."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Elsa said dismissively.

"I guess," Rapunzel said with a small shrug. Then, she perked up once more. "Come on, we were _supposed_ to go to the library!"

Elsa stifled a laugh. _Rapunzel's mood changes sure are crazy._

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa smiled as Rapunzel led her out of the science class. She glanced at her watch. It read _12:14_ in emerald numbers. Elsa turned to Rapunzel. "I believe you've showed me every single room except for the cafeteria," she mused. Rapunzel laughed and led Elsa towards the lunch room. Elsa's jaw dropped as they entered. The cafeteria was seriously... the largest room in the entire academy.

"It takes up nearly a whole floor," Rapunzel explained, clearly pleased at Elsa's reaction. Rapunzel then led Elsa to one of the many lunch lines. Rapunzel pointed at the spaghetti. "That you've _got_ to try. Want some? It's the best thing in the world. The other stuff will just seem second-class compared to that," Rapunzel said, already ordering two bowls of the stuff.

Elsa grinned at Rapunzel's enthusiasm. It was utterly contagious. "Why did you ask me if you weren't going to give me a choice?"

Rapunzel cocked her head. "You're right."

"Of course I am—but on what again?"

Rapunzel grinned at Elsa's brief cockiness. "The thing about me not giving you a choice."

Elsa let Rapunzel lead her to a table and was mildly surprised to see Anna there as well, chatting animatedly. Anna looked up as Elsa arrived and squealed, "Elsa!" Elsa felt everyone's gazes on her as Anna leapt up from her seat and threw her arms around Elsa. Elsa embraced her sister back, enjoying the brief moment of comfort.

Rapunzel pointed at the circle of people, who were all wearing the Rosethorn Academy uniform. "That's Tiana, of course, you already know her. That's Belle, that's Ariel, that's Cinderella—we call her Ella—that's Toothiana—we call her Tooth— and that's Aurora." The girls chorused a greeting to Elsa. "And you already know Anna, right? She's your sister, right?"

Elsa nodded and turned to see the girls. They seemed around her age, which was 16. Anna was a sophomore, but apparently, she rose quickly in the social ranks. Belle had pretty skin and long, dark hair with dark eyes to match. Belle's eyes were kind and welcoming. Ariel had a shock of red hair that cascaded gracefully down her back with wide, teal eyes. It was like someone had meshed together the brilliant colors of Rapunzel's and Jack's eyes to fabricate those teal gems. A shell bracelet was on Ariel's wrist, and Ariel seemed like the adventurous type.

On the other side of the table was Cinderella—or Ella, as Rapunzel had said. Ella had golden-blonde hair—a shade slightly darker than Rapunzel's own hair—and long-lashed blue eyes. Ella had the sort of family-ish feel to her. Tooth had dark hair in a pixie cut that was dyed blue, teal, and gold in parts of it. It was a unique hairstyle. Aurora had golden-blonde hair and soft eyes that looked gray or blue depending on the lighting.

But as conversation between the other girls progressed, Elsa felt so separate from their universe. They were all beautiful and proper, and Elsa was just... Elsa. She joined in conversation several times but still felt that some loneliness—which was surreal considering the fact that she was surrounded by new friends—if she could call them that.

Elsa took her first, tentative bite of her spaghetti. She turned to Rapunzel and grinned. "Wow, this is really good!"

"Isn't it?" Rapunzel said smugly.

Elsa grinned and dug into her spaghetti. Of course, she ate it swiftly and neatly, like how everyone was eating: brisk and petite. At least she had one thing down—even if it was as ridiculous as eating. Elsa found herself taking comfort in the chatter of the girls around her—even if she wasn't partaking in the conversation herself.

And then, Aurora ruined it.

"Jack Overland is so _hot!"_

Elsa groaned as Aurora spoke those words. "Not you, too!"

Aurora quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone here thinks that Jack is the greatest thing in the world!" Elsa exclaimed. "He's just some stuck up idiot who deserves to rot in a jail cell." Elsa mentally smacked herself. She buried her face in her hands. "Why does everyone let him push them around? It's like they can't move or talk around him. What's _with_ him?"

Ella giggled. "But he is _cute."_

"And those eyes," Belle agreed, sighing contentedly.

"They're just eyes," Elsa said, unconvinced.

"Come on, Else," Anna said. "He's the history teacher's teacher's assistant!"

"Why do you dislike him anyway?" Aurora said, shrugging a little. "I mean, he's hot, and he's confident—the way he carries himself is just so..." Elsa felt like saying _obnoxious,_ but Aurora merely said, "Breathtaking. And his hair is just the perfect shade of white, and his eyes are the pale glacier blue of ice. You can't say that's not admirable."

"Rory," Elsa said, sighing, "Rapunzel and I had a run-in with Overland earlier today."

"And you never told us!" Ariel exclaimed, her voice pitched up to almost a shriek. Her voice seemed musical, and Elsa smiled at the adventurous girl. As Ariel spoke her next words, her voice went lower. "Spill." Elsa didn't know that _one word_ could hold so much power over her. But Elsa just froze, unable to utter even a few words. Her mind was going _uhhhhhh._

"We were heading to the library—well, I was taking Elsa there because, you know, she's new and all," Rapunzel said in her quick, rambling way. "And Jack Freaking Overland just came, and he was like 'what's up' in his husky voice!" Rapunzel gushed. "And then, he was saying hi to Elsa when she totally went up in his face and said 'what's your problem?!'" Rapunzel paused. "No, wait, that's not how it went—it was _Jack_ who said that because Elsa completely _blew him off!"_

"You blew off _Jack Overland?!"_ Belle gawked.

Elsa shifted uncomfortably. "He's a boy, and he's a jerk."

"Say what you want," Anna said. "Jack is hot."

"But only _you guys_ would think that," Elsa mumbled, feeling shy and conspicuous once more. She lowered her gaze until her gaze landed on another table—where Jack was sitting at. A ring of people sat around him, eyes trained on him like he was the best thing in the universe—in their eyes, he probably was. Disgust roiled up in Elsa's stomach.

Jack shifted slightly, and their gazes locked. He scowled, and his frosty gaze darkened as they locked eyes. And this time, Elsa studied his eyes. There weren't blue—no, not exactly. They were the frostiest of blues, so yeah, the pale blue of glacier ice worked, as Aurora had said. They were dazzling, and they were the perfect crystalline—the perfect wintry blue.

Then, he turned away, continuing to talk with his friends and admirers. Elsa scowled and turned back to her... friends. Maybe she could call them that. But it still felt awkward on her tongue. She felt herself flush furiously, and she felt everyone's gazes burning on her. She took a deep breath. "You saw the hatred in his eyes, right?" she said.

"Wow," Rapunzel mused. "I _really_ haven't seen him hate anyone before."

"That's because no one has hated him before," Tiana scoffed. She turned to Elsa. "You're special."

"Not so sure so much as special as allegedly crazy or eccentric," Elsa mumbled.

But the image of Jackson Overland's frosty orbs stayed in her mind throughout the whole meal.

 **Behind Her Eyes**

"What's up with _that?"_

Jack turned over to Naveen, who was staring at an angelic figure perched gracefully on a chair, surrounding by her little circle of friends. Jack's gaze narrowed as his gaze landed on Elsa Solange Wynters. It was ironic that Jack could sometimes forget his own friends' names and remember the name of a girl he just met. It was completely out of wack.

But there was something about this Elsa girl that caught Jack's attention.

She was beautiful—of course, it was the kind of beautiful that was like Elsa didn't know that she was beautiful, which somewhat made her more ethereal. But that wasn't it. Her eyes, long-lashed and crystalline, were wide and... too perfect. Jack scowled and turned back to his friends. "Don't know," he mumbled. "Just some chick playing hard to get."

"Doesn't seem like it, man," Eric mused. "She seems to genuinely hate you."

Jack scoffed. "How could someone hate _this?"_ He swept a hand up and down his body.

"You look like you want to impress her or something," Charm said, grinning. "Want to borrow my cupcake recipe? Chicks dig guys who can cook."

Jack scoffed once more. "Oh please." He pointed at his face. "This is all it takes to impress women."

"True dat," Hans said, his fiery hair fanned around his rugged face.

Jack crossed his arms, wearing his favorite proud smirk on his face. But he found his gaze turning back to Elsa Wynters. She looked so innocent. Then, Jack realized what it was. She was _too_ innocent— _no one_ could be that innocent. But that... there was something else. Jack searched her gaze and nearly fell over when he noticed her gaze locked on his.

"What's up with _that?"_ Naveen echoed, quirking an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Jack mumbled.

"Looks like she's admiring your eyes," Eric said doubtfully.

Jack shrugged. "Why would she do that?"

"You tell me."

Hans grinned devilishly. "It's because, why of course, you have nice eyes." Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Of course_ he had great eyes! But that didn't explain why the girl that hat—disliked him was admiring his eyes. Of course, they _were_ wonderful eyes, consisting of brilliant ceruleans and azures and crystallines.

Jack sighed and crossed his arms cockily. "I'm going to go for a walk. Maybe spray some graffiti on the walls," he added in his usually cocky tone. His friends grinned, and Jack strolled out of room. Of course, he glanced over at Elsa's table for a heartbeat to realized that she wasn't there anymore. He frowned but promptly dismissed his thoughts and headed out towards the garden.

For all his big talk, he really did love the garden. It was peaceful, and it was empty—

 _"What are you doing here!"_ he yelled as he entered the garden.

Elsa's gaze slid over to his. "I came for—why should I tell _you?"_

"God, you can stop acting like you hate me," Jack said, scowling. "It's getting old, and frankly, my friends are getting weird with all that."

"Oh? Am I ruining your 'big, bad-boy' reputation?" Elsa sneered.

"My reputation was already built," Jack snarled. "It's yours that remains to be seen."

"Is that a threat?" Elsa demanded.

Jack whirled around towards her, gaze burning like a crystalline pool of fire. "It's not a threat," he spat out, wondering how _one girl_ could make him feel so _pissed._ She was a girl, not a drunk Hans. "It's more of a warning," he snarled, "so stop with the game and just get out of here! Why did you show your face here?"

Elsa stared back unflinchingly. "Well, you're stuck with me—whether you like it or not."

"There are other academies," Jack said bitterly, walking towards his favorite patch of rosemary. "Why choose _this one?"_

"Scholarship," Elsa answered stiffly. "Life isn't fair."

There was something haunted in her eyes that Jack had never noticed before. Perhaps she wasn't as innocent as he thought she was. His fingers trailed across the frost-laced flower before he turned his frosty gaze back to her. "I don't understand—I don't comprehend how _you,_ someone I never knew existed until today, could make me feel so impossibly outraged!"

"Well, sucks to be you," Elsa shot back snarkily. "And why are _you_ here?"

Jack glared. "This is the best academy around."

Elsa rolled her glacier-pale eyes. "I meant why are you in the garden?"

"You don't own the garden—I'm entitled to my rights here just as you are," he said, not bothering with his cocky tone this time. He didn't need to waste his breath on this—this _girl._ The wind billowed through his snowy-white hair, and he saw it flow through her platinum blonde hair, making her look like a snow angel. An incredibly frustrating snow angel.

How dare this girl taint the garden?

Did she have any idea who he was? No, apparently not.

"Stop staring at me like that," Elsa snapped.

Jack's head snapped. He was watching her? _Again?_ Jack scowled and turned away, trying to ignore her haunting blue eyes. Ugh. Did she piss _everyone_ off at first glances, or was he just special enough for this? "I'm not staring at you," he muttered darkly. "Why don't you just leave?" he demanded, not looking at her. Perhaps it was because no one really stood up to him—perhaps this was what made her different.

But being different here wasn't something to be proud of.

"Why don't _you?"_ she shot back angrily. "Don't you have your crowd of friends to hang out with?"

Jack glanced at her for one excruciating heartbeat and snarled, "Are you always this impossible?!"

"Are you always this idiotic?" Elsa shot back coldly, voice completely devoid of any warmth whatsoever. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but she seemed very calm indeed— _seemed._ In truth, Jack was sure that she was as mad as he was—even though she had no right to be—but he wasn't about to acknowledge that. Her glacier-pale eyes flashed with annoyance.

Jack then decidedly, very simply, that he was just wasting his breath.

 _One girl_ hating him didn't mean anything. He was still the popular, outgoing jock he very well knew he was. And this Elsa girl was _not_ going to change his—quoting Elsa—'big, bad boy' reputation. And he was very much sure that she knew that, too. So, the _real_ question was _why was she even trying?_ The girl was wasting her own time as well as his, which was completely unacceptable in his world.

Jack cast one final dark look at her before making his leave.

Honestly, _one girl_ didn't change his status. Certainly one girl wasn't going to bother him like this.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Look who _finally_ decided to show his face!"

Jack strode back into the cafeteria and lifted his head at Aladdin's outraged face... Along with the rest of his friends' outraged faces. "It wasn't my fault!" Jack said cockily, crossing his arms defiantly and striding towards them confidently. "Besides, I have my business, and you have yours." A delighted smile crept up on Jack's lips. "Are you saying you guys missed me? Awh, that's so sweet," he said sarcastically.

But even _Jack_ couldn't ignore the stream of warmth rising up in his chest.

For all their idiocy and ignorance, they were very good friends.

"We _are_ just the sweetest things ever, aren't we?" Hans mused.

Eric scoffed. "He was using sarcasm, idiot."

Hans shot Jack a look that said something like, _someone left their brain back at home._ Jack cracked a smile, feeling better already. See? He didn't need a stupid—though very beautiful—girl to ruin his day. Jack yawned, which meant something like, _please stop wasting my time. I'm Jack Overland, most godly and important person in the world._ Jack narrowed his frosty orbs into slits. "You guys are going to burn this academy to the ground."

"Oh please!" Naveen scoffed. "You're an incompetent piece of dung that's going to kill this place."

Jack shrugged. "Whatever tickles your peach."

Charm rolled his eyes. " _All_ of you are going to ravage this place— _I'll_ be happily out of the crossfire, thank you very much."

"Yeah, because _you're_ so pathetically loyal," Jack scoffed.

"I am, aren't I?" Charm said, puffing out his chest.

Jack let his favorite perpetual smirk play on his lips. He let a yawn escape his lips and called, "I'm going to hit the sack." He stood up and glanced at his plate of food. "You guys'll do away with that, right?" Not bothering to wait for an answer, Jack strode out, winking at a few girls here and there, who blushed furiously and chattered among themselves.

"It's a pity that so many girls lay their eyes on you, yet you only have flings with them and let them get lost."

Jack turned to his side to see none other than Flynn Rider. Jack smirked. "I thought you were away."

"Well, turns out," Flynn said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I get to come back." He smirked, gaze narrowed in playful concentration. "I wanted to see Rapunzel." He nodded at a group of girls. Jack turned and saw Rapunzel with her undeniably long hair. And by Rapunzel was the girl Jack resented with a passion. Elsa Solange Wynters. They were talking about one thing or another, but Elsa was the one who was quiet. Maybe she was just louder around Jack—maybe he was just the exception.

Of course, he _had_ been told that he was the greatest thing.

Call him arrogant, but it really wasn't Jack's fault. In his defense, he was only cocky because of what his fellow friends and acquaintances told him. 'Oh Jackson Overland, you're so handsome!' 'Oh Jack, the history teacher couldn't have chosen a better teacher's assistant!' 'Oh Jack Overland, you're practically perfect in every way possible. Hell, you _are_ perfect in every way possible!' Was it sad that his classmates worshipped him more than they worshipped Fairy Godmother? Yes. But who was he to crush their admiration?

"Hey, Jack," Flynn said, nodding at someone at a corner. "Looks like yet _another_ girl has caught her eyes on you."

Jack followed his best friend's gaze to a rather pretty lone figure. Her alabaster skin shone in the dim light, and her dark-as-night hair was curled in a pixie cut. Her amber or crimson eyes—it was impossible to tell due to her straying in a dark corner—glowed like a pool of fire. _Snow White._ Jack's gaze met hers for one, brief moment. Snow blushed and looked away.

"I'm cool," Jack said, shrugging.

"Of course you are," Flynn scoffed. "You're _Jack Frost._ You're _always_ cool. Get it?"

Jack wrinkled his nose. "Bad pun."

"Your name was made for puns," Flynn declared.

"I'm just perfect," Jack said, shooting a smug grin at his Flynn. Flynn rolled his dark eyes, and Jack yawned. "Are you stalking me? Might I add _again?_ You know, I like _girls,_ not guys. I'm not some gay fool, Rider. Besides, don't you want to do something with your girlfriend or something?" Jack turned to Rapunzel, who was deep in conversation with her friends. But there was a seriousness in Rapunzel's eyes. The rest looked stricken. What was _up?_

"Are you trying to ditch me?" Flynn faked an offended gasp. "I know when I'm not wanted."

"Then why're you still here?" Jack asked, smirking.

"You're right," Flynn said, nodding. He patted Jack's back. "See ya, sucker."

Jack waved and strode out of the cafeteria, a smile on his face. He was genuinely glad that Flynn was back—even if the love of Flynn's life was associated with the person, the _only_ person might Jack add, that Jack hated—and through Flynn's faults, he did think of Flynn like a brother. Of course, Jack was definitely the more handsome brother, but let's gloss over that.

And after Flynn's visit, Jack really didn't feel like hitting the sack.

So Jack went to the garden, praying that Elsa wasn't there. Perhaps his prayers had been answered—because the garden was still in its pristine condition—and better yet, no one—not even Elsa Wynters—was there. Jack felt like whooping with joy but knew better than to do that. He headed over to his favorite patch of rosemary and curled a stem around a finger. The aroma of currant wafted in the air, mixed with oranges and lavenders. It was utterly tantalizing.

Jack yawned and plucked a few petals from a rose, letting them drop to the ground like feathers. He remembered doing an experiment with a feather. He had dropped a feather and a coin at the same time, and, of course, due to gravity, the coin had dropped like _that._ The feather had taken longer in its journey. But when Jack had put both items in a container and sucked all of the air out of the container and dropped both, both the coin and the feather had landed at the same time.

Jack knew the principles of gravity and air and whatnot, but that didn't mean that the feather dropping at the same time as the coin looked natural.

Jack picked up a fistful of petals and crushed them in his hands. He had come to the garden as an escape—and that had worked for the first bit. It had distracted him for _Elsa Wynters_ —god, even _thinking_ her name caused Jack to heat up with rage—but only for a moment. Jack plucked up more petals and crushed them. Then, he rubbed his hands together, letting the petals fall. He stomped on them, thinking that it would be like crushing Elsa—she sure was delicate.

Or, at least, she _looked_ delicate. The girl had a fiery spirit that made Jack feel outraged.

Then, the door to the garden opened, and someone slipped in before the door slammed again. The figure in the Rosethorn Academy uniform sank to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Jack was about to ask what was wrong until realization of who it was hit him square in the face. It was Elsa 'Snow Queen' Wynters. He watched her and felt a sneer curl up onto his lips. "What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded.

Elsa looked up, eyes like blue fire. She looked absolutely furious and upset that if Jack didn't hate her so much, he would've felt sorry for her. As it was... not so much. Elsa was a bitch, and she didn't deserve his pity. "Sorry for interrupting you oh so busy schedule of mocking others to make yourself feel better about yourself," Elsa said sarcastically.

Jack sneered, but his heart wasn't into it. Sure, Jack liked fun things and all, but he didn't want to bite at her when she was upset. He had done that once to Flynn when Flynn wasn't in the mood—and this was when Jack was feeling bitter towards Flynn—and Jack had felt horrible for hours afterward. Jack sighed. "An answer for an answer," he said.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Elsa demanded, glaring.

Jack glared back. "Just as I said: an answer for an answer."

Elsa sighed, finally resigned. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"What's... wrong?" he said coldly.

She glared, angry attitude back. "What? So you can mock me?"

"No, I might be a jerk in your eyes, but that doesn't mean I can't feel compassion," Jack snapped. "So if you can stop drowning in your self pity for five minutes, maybe you'll tell Jack Overland a little something to get it off your chest." Jack crossed his arms and gingerly took a seat by her. "I don't like seeing people in pain—even if I hate you, because deep down, even though I hate you, I know you're not the enemy."

Elsa bit her lip. "You're _Jackson Overland._ Why would you care?"

"I don't, but _you_ do," Jack said stiffly.

"Fine," Elsa said, biting her lip. And then, she said something like, "Ijustfoundoutthatmyparentsdied."

"What?" Jack said, not quite getting it. "Repeat that again?"

Elsa hadn't cried before—she was shaking and all, but she didn't cry—that is, not until now. Tears—crystalline and pale—slid down her face, and Jack felt _really_ awkward. Okay, maybe he regretted finding out what that mysterious 'something' was if he knew it was going to lead to Elsa having a meltdown right in front of him. Of course, considering that she hated him, she probably wouldn't want him to see her weak.

So long story short, whatever happened must've been serious.

Elsa took a deep breath, hands shaking. Her gaze was trained on the ground as she sagged against the door. "I just found out that my parents died. There was a fire or something, and my parents were working on something, and—" Elsa cut herself off, burying her face in her hands. "Well, maybe not both," she said stiffly. "There was just chaos, but I know at least one is dead."

Jack was uncharacteristically quiet. "T-that's _terrible."_

"I don't expect you to care," Elsa said quietly.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Jack said, stricken as he remembered his own past. "My mother died, and when she did, my father abandoned me," Jack said coldly.

"Why don't you like seeing people in pain?" Elsa asked quietly. He went silent, and she glared. "Answer for answer, remember?"

Jack took a deep breath. "When I was younger, my mother took me to her work place. She was a doctor, and she was performing a surgical operation. I saw the needles in the guy, so the whole experience was pretty traumatic for a kid of six," Jack said bitterly. "I never got over my fear of needles ever since—because I heard and saw how much pain the guy was. It was the worst feeling in the world, not being able to do anything about it. But I can do something for you, even if it isn't much."

"But you were six," Elsa said slowly. "You expected yourself to do something..?"

"Hey, it was _one_ question," Jack half-teased, but in his mind, he was reliving that horrific memory.

Elsa stood up. "I'm better now. Thanks."

Jack scoffed. "Just don't ask me for help ever again. That was weird."

Elsa looked hurt. "I didn't _ask_ you. Forget me thanking you," she snapped, her fingers on the handle of the door. She shot him one final icy glare before slipping through the door and disappearing through the corridor. Jack glared after her, but that glare slipped off his face once she left. She was certainly a mysterious girl. What else did she hide behind her smile?

And even though he hated her, he couldn't help but wonder.

Elsa was a challenge—and Jack did relish his challenges.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa was back in her dorm. She sank into her bed, feeling so _lost._ She could still remember Anna's haunting tears. Rapunzel and the others had comforted Anna—but Elsa was far more aloof. She felt like she was crumbling into pieces on the inside, but no one could tell. No one except for... for Jackson Overland, the godly guy that Elsa couldn't help but hate.

Was the universe seriously this cruel? Cruel enough to kill off one of her parents—maybe both—and make Elsa make her first enemy on her first day at Rosethorn Academy?

Elsa stared at the ceiling. Jack was... more or less an orphan. Was that why he wanted to rise so high up in the social class? So he could be surrounded by people who wanted to be near him because of status? Did anyone really _know_ the _real_ Jack Overland? Did Jack's best friend Flynn Rider—who was Rapunzel's boyfriend or soulmate or whatever—really know Jack? Or did Jack just let Elsa see this tiny piece of him?

 _Elsa, why are you amusing yourself with such traitorous thoughts?_ Elsa chastised herself mentally.

"Jack Overland and his stupid eyes," Elsa moaned.

Elsa glanced at the sky and wondered how many hours had past while she had been brooding and moping around. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and was surprised though not shocked to see _4:53_ glowing in its mocking, emerald numbers. How long had lunch been? Surely it had only been one or two hours. And then there was that _thing_ that she did not know what to call with Jack... but that couldn't have taken very long, right?

"Elsa, you're a fool," Elsa told herself. Then, she felt stupid. "And now you're a fool that talks to yourself."

Elsa got up and stared at herself through an extravagant mirror. Her pale platinum hair was slightly messy—but in the way that didn't seem that messy, if that makes sense at all. Her eyes were still the same crystalline eyes, long-lashed and wide. She looked like she usually did. _No, that's not quite right,_ Elsa thought ruefully as she studied her eyes once more. There was a sort of haunted feeling to them now, perhaps more so than usual.

Elsa took a deep breath and let her hair fall back into her face. "Take a deep breath, Elsa. The doctors will have more news tomorrow. There's no need to worry—no need to worry at all, because if you start freaking out, Anna will freak out even more, and you have to protect your sister. You have to hold your head high and keep your troubles locked inside." Elsa glanced at her hands. "Don't attract attention to yourself. Be who are when you weren't at Rosethorn Academy—that too-shy girl that goes unnoticed."

Somehow, Elsa didn't think that it would be that simple.

Elsa closed her eyes and opened them once more as a loud rap sounded on her door. She prayed that it would go away, but when it didn't and merely grew louder, Elsa merely twisted to her side and slammed a pillow on her head. "Elsa, I know you're in there!" called a familiar voice. Elsa sighed and got out of bed. She quickly smoothed her Rosethorn Academy uniform before striding to the door. She opened it a crack.

"Rapunzel?"

"Elsa!" Rapunzel said cheerfully, embracing Elsa swiftly—which was something Elsa did _not_ expect but welcomed nonetheless. Rapunzel's perpetual grinned died away a little as she got a good look at Elsa's face. "Elsa, you might have everyone else here fooled, but I know that something is wrong." Rapunzel led Elsa inside the dorm and closed the door behind them. "Come on, you know you can tell me anything."

Elsa didn't tell Rapunzel the thing about Jack, but she _did_ tell her about the whole parent incident and how she felt about it. Rapunzel listened silently with steady, concerned jade eyes, and Elsa's palms heated up at Rapunzel's sisterly concern. "And I guess I just don't know what I'm going to do now," Elsa said softly, turning to Rapunzel and admiring the way the light played in Rapunzel's eyes.

"Well don't worry, I'm here now," Rapunzel said. "I suggest that you should just take it easy for the rest of the day. Maybe watch a movie— _not_ Vampire Academy, because that movie deals with the death of the main character's best friend's parents' deaths," Rapunzel said. Then, she must've noticed Elsa's uncertain look because she added, "You should watch some nice, cheesy movie and make yourself feel better. Hell, we can watch it together!"

Rapunzel ended up choosing _Cloud 9,_ a snowboarding movie that was actually quite captivating. It told a story of a posh girl's life being turned upside down. There was romance and intrigue, and both Elsa and Rapunzel were crying by the time the movie was finished. And then they simply watched it again a few times just because. "That was so beautiful," Elsa breathed as the ending credits blared out on the screen.

"It is," Rapunzel agreed. "Now didn't I tell you that I'd cheer you up?"

Elsa grinned. "Yeah, you did. Thanks, Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel's a big of a mouthful," Rapunzel said with a small smile. "You think I could find a good nickname?"

Elsa's grin widened. "Your name is beautiful."

"It's _long,"_ Rapunzel sulked.

Elsa couldn't help but smile. "Like your hair. Now get out of here before the dorm matron notices that you're out of your dorm. It's nearly ten o'clock, and I'm not going to get expelled just because my best friend is caught in my room past curfew!" Elsa said, grinning. Rapunzel hugged her, and Elsa felt her smile even wider. Rapunzel headed towards Elsa's window. "W-what're you doing?" Elsa inquired.

"Going through the window," Rapunzel said, grinning like it wasn't a big feat at all. "My room is two floors up from yours, so there's that." Rapunzel's smile turned into something softer. "Elsa, you don't have to worry. But if you need a go-to-confidant, I'll always be here for you. But I'd better go before some idiot decides to lock up my window—it's happened before!"

"Take care of yourself," Elsa called as Rapunzel undid her braid and tossed her long, unraveled hair up to the balcony above them. It was so much longer now that it wasn't in its braid, and Elsa found herself wondering how Rapunzel cleaned and braided it each day. Then, Elsa decidedly very swiftly that maybe it was better that she didn't know.

"Always," Rapunzel said as she climbed up her own hair. It was amazing how natural it was for Rapunzel to do that. "See ya!"

Elsa felt a smile tug on her lips as Rapunzel disappeared into the night. Elsa closed her balcony doors, locking them for good measure. She stared out at the darkness, feeling fear. Elsa's old fear of the dark was something she was embarrassed of, and it was only because of Rapunzel that Elsa had been too distracted to notice how dark it was out.

Elsa quickly turned on a light and changed out of her Rosethorn Academy uniform and pulled on her favorite pajamas: a pale crystalline cloth with a pretty snowflake print on it. But as soon as Elsa turned off the light and slipped into bed, the dark was no longer her greatest fear. Because everything about Jackson Overland tumbled back to her, making her sweat and feel unnerved.

"He's just a boy," Elsa told herself as she yawned.

Jack might be just a boy, but he sure was a handsome one. Hair the color of the purest, freshest snow, irises the color of the most brilliant of blues and crystallines, pale, alabaster complexion, full lips. Lips that looked very much kissable. But it was his confident, cocky attitude that really irritated Elsa. And because of that, she learned to hate him. And because of that, she hated that he was that handsome. His handsome face flashed in her mind...

..and the image of Jack's beautiful eyes stayed with Elsa throughout the entire night.

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 **QotD: How did I do on a scale of 1-10 on my first Frozen and RotG fanfiction?  
**

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 **A/N: Review your answer to the QotD! By the way, QotD stands for Question of the Day, so there's that. Well, that was pretty interesting to write. I probably wrote that in... roughly a day. Yep. Wow. And I just thought of that idea yesterday. So here you are: a product of something that comes from the dark and devious place I call my mind.  
**

 **Please tell me how I did on this. I really don't know RotG though I hope I'll watch it someday—like, soon, I hope. So, this is going to pretty much be a Jelsa fic, as the cover states as well as the summary hints. I don't know. I'm not really good at summaries with that tiny little space, but there's that. Of course, the thing about Elsa's parents was _bound_ to happen, though I didn't think that it would happen so soon.  
**

 **And just to verify, this is _my_ story. If anything from this story is similar to other stories, I'm very sorry, but I just randomly came up with this idea, so please don't blame me. And yes, Rosethorn Academy is based off of Rose Hathaway from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. Because, um, you know, the 'Rose' part. Academy is just because in VA, there is ' 's Academy,' and I seriously did _not_ want to put 'school' or something like that. So there's that.**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	2. Don't Tell Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 2 - Don't Tell Me  
**

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 **"You take a deep breath, and you walk through the doors. It's the morning of your very first day." ~Excerpt from _Fifteen,_ Taylor Swift**

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 **A/N: Hey, it's Darky, and I'm back with another chapter of 'Behind Her Smile!' I don't have school this week, but I'm going to be traveling with my loud-ass family in a few days, so there's that. Now, I want to get this chapter out before all of that craziness. So let's just get straight into the chapter! Oh, and by the way, I'm probably going to make this book a 200,000 word book or a 100,00 word book. It depends on how fast I can get the craziness in. It will most likely be 200,000 because that'll be 20 chapters. I'm going to try to make one chapter one or two days for our lovely characters.  
**

 **Enjoy. ;)**

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Elsa's eyes shot open as an alarm clock blared on. Elsa stiffened and opened her eyes, sure they were bloodshot. She groaned and quickly shut it off. She was very determined to just stay in bed, but her call for school burned far too deep. "Curse my resilience," Elsa muttered as she climbed out of bed. She took a good look at herself in the mirror, glad that she wasn't _that_ much of a mess.

Elsa took a quick shower before putting on her Rosethorn Academy uniform. It would be a pain to do this every day, but Elsa would adjust—she adjusted to everything. That was the only way to survive. Elsa took a deep breath and ran a comb through her hair, somewhat frustrated at the slight curliness in her platinum hair. She tossed her hair brush back onto the night stand and glanced at her face.

She didn't like to wear make-up—it made her feel like she was wearing a thick mask on her face—but she also didn't want to look like she hadn't slept. The bags under her haunted crystalline eyes were far too noticeable. So Elsa grabbed a brush and quickly applied some alabaster make-up on her face. Seriously. There wasn't even _one thing_ her too-pale complexion was good for.

Only Jack Freaking Overland looked good with pale everything.

Elsa glanced at her clock, and it read _6:37_ in its bright emerald numbers. Elsa was really starting to hate it. But nevertheless, Elsa considered herself acceptable and grabbed her favorite tote bag: an alabaster bag with a tiny imprint of snowflakes. Maybe Jack was right about her being a 'snow queen.' Of course, she would never admit that to him—and would be beyond mortified if _he_ —the guy she absolutely hated with a passion—found out.

A small knock on the door caused Elsa to pause. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, she slung her bag on a shoulder and strode over to the door. She wrenched it open with more force than intended and turned to see the smiling face of Rapunzel. Rapunzel looked… exactly as she did yesterday. Her braid was neatly done, and the same—or different, Elsa could tell—black and white ribbons were woven in it. Rapunzel's jade eyes were still bright. _At least one of us is feeling fine,_ Elsa mused.

"Hey," she said aloud, smiling at Rapunzel.

"Hey," Rapunzel said, grinning. Then, she studied Elsa, and Elsa groaned mentally and shot Rapunzel a look that blatantly said, _is it really that obvious?_ Rapunzel nodded and looped her with Elsa's. "You know your smile looks incredibly fake, right?" Trust Rapunzel to see right through. There hadn't been many people in Elsa's life that could do that. And the fact that Rapunzel—a girl Elsa had met yesterday but considered a good friend that could be like a sister to her—could was truly something astonishing.

Anna? No. Elsa's parents? In your dreams. Elsa winced as she remembered the last night's events. A tumble of emotions raced down Elsa, threatening to consume her. Horrible thoughts came through her mind: fire, her parents, gravestones with her parents' names on them, Jack Overland's frosty eyes and snarky attitude. Elsa shuddered and realized that she had come to a halt when Rapunzel glanced over at her worriedly. "Elsa, are you okay?" the other girl asked anxiously.

"Fine," Elsa choked out.

"You're lying through your teeth," Rapunzel said flatly. "You going to be sick? Come on. Just… just sit down for a second. Then we'll go grab something to eat, and you can show me your schedule for this year. And I'll show you mine. And we'll go find Tiana and Rory and Ella and Tooth and Ariel and Belle and Anna and go distract you, and please don't comment at me abusing my 'and' privileges. Sound good?" Rapunzel frowned. "Elsa..?"

Elsa nodded, feeling weak in her knees. "I'm good." Elsa let Rapunzel lead her to the cafeteria and collapsed in her seat. Thankfully, the others weren't there yet. Elsa wanted to keep a low profile—inasmuch as she could considering she had been provoking Jack Overland, the most popular guy in Rosethorn Academy, since before day one—and if others saw her like this… there would be no chance. "God, Rosethorn Academy is so weird," Elsa groaned.

"How weird?" Rapunzel said, eyes watching her.

"Very," Elsa said as Rapunzel handed her a glass of water. Elsa took a sip of it and took another sip when her stomach accepted the first one. Elsa inhaled deeply and exhaled, sighing. "I don't know how much longer I can keep a low profile, Rapunzel. I don't _like_ being noticed by…" Elsa stared and gestured around them. "By prestigious people," she said quietly, turning away.

"Like Jack?" Rapunzel asked kindly.

 _"Exactly_ like Jack."

"The others are coming," Rapunzel said softly. "Your sister looks worse than you, so if we're lucky, all of the attention will be on her and not you." Rapunzel was right about that. Everyone scurried around Anna in their little clusters, and although the others tried to get Elsa to talk, Elsa just nodded and faked a smile. It was just so much easier to fake a smile and say that she was fine than spend a day figuring out how to explain what was wrong.

"Elsa."

Elsa looked up as Anna called her name. She didn't bother smiling at her sister—her mouth felt sore, and she never wanted to smile ever again. "Anna?" Elsa murmured softly in a sort of sad tone. Anna looked so sad and stricken, but there was the slightest of stirrings of hope on Elsa's sister's face. There was color back in Anna's face now.

"They said that Dad is alive," Anna said softly, mouth curled in a sad way.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. "We're going to be fine, Anna."

"They said there's going to be a funeral," Anna said, her eyes pricking with tears again. Anna was unable to remain stoic for much longer. Anna sobbed, and Elsa felt her heart reach out for her sister. Surely things wouldn't get any worse. Elsa watched Ella and Rory hug Anna and sighed. Her sister was in good hands. They didn't need _two_ sisters having a meltdown—especially not in front of everyone.

"I'm so sorry, you two," Tiana said, gaze dark and swimming with tears.

And now, Elsa realized why Ella and Rory held Anna. Words seemed pale and bleak in comparison to what Elsa was feeling. She wanted to curl up into a ball and stay there forever. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Elsa stared at her hands, stricken. Rapunzel squeezed her hand and whispered, "It's alright, Elsa. We'll get through this."

Elsa took a deep breath. "What time is it?"

"Fifteen minutes until 7:15, which is our first class." Rapunzel frowned. "What's your schedule?"

Elsa handed Rapunzel her schedule, which she hadn't really read yet:

 **Elsa Solange Wynters**

 _Breakfast ~ 6:30 - 7:10  
_

 _1\. History 101 | Mr. Sandstone | Room 32 | 7:15 - 8:45  
_

 _2\. Preparation for Contretemps | Mr. North | Gym | 9:50 - 11:20_

 _3\. Systematical Interpretations of Arithmetic | Ms. Gerda | Room 5 | 11:25 - 12:55_

 _Lunch ~ 12:55 - 1:55_

 _4\. The Arts of Drama | Mr. Pabbie | Room 82 | 2:00 - 3:30_

 _5\. English 700 | Mr. O'laf | Room 52 | 3:35 - 5:05_

 _6\. Science 401 | Mr. Oaken | Room 17 | 5:10 - 6:40  
_

 _Dinner ~ 6:40 - 7:40_

 _7\. French 201 | Ms. Asle | Room 41 | 7:45 - 9:15_

 _Curfew : 10:00_

Elsa's jaw dropped as she finally read the schedule properly. "Why are our classes so impossibly long?!" Elsa exclaimed as she stared at the piece of paper in Rapunzel's hands. "T-there must be some sort of mistake! How are we supposed to have time to do our homework?! For seven whole classes we've got! We'll have less than an hour before curfew!"

Rapunzel grinned sheepishly. "Get used to it. It's the price of a good academy. We wake up at 6:30—some of us wake up earlier than that because that's when the cafeteria opens—and go to sleep at 10:00. Of course, some of us just spend the night doing homework—but we barely get any. Well, most of the time. Since the classes are so long, the teachers teach us a lesson and give us 30 minutes to fill out what would be our homework. Don't worry."

Elsa still stared at her schedule, stunned. "I guess... that's... better, at least."

"And now we officially have ten minutes left," Rapunzel said.

"I—" Elsa paused. She turned to Rapunzel. "I'll be right back." She grabbed her bag and stuffed the schedule in it. How was she possibly going to survive all of the classes? Elsa got up and paused. Then, she turned back to Rapunzel. "Wait—what's your schedule?" If Elsa had to endure seven classes of this, then she at least wanted to have Rapunzel in some of her classes.

"I have the same classes as you for second, fourth, and fifth period," Rapunzel said.

"Alright, thanks," Elsa said, scrabbling up from her seat. "I'll be right back."

"Wait—where are you going?" Rapunzel said, standing up as well. "Class starts in, like, eight minutes."

Elsa just shot Rapunzel a helpless smile and mouthed a 'sorry' to her before rushing out of the cafeteria. She dumped her trash in the closest trash can and raced over and away. Elsa headed to the first place her mind thought of: the garden. Sure Jack 'claimed' it as his own—but still. It was almost class, so Jack shouldn't be there, right?

Thankfully, he wasn't there. Elsa collapsed next to a flower bed, anticipating a bout of vertigo. The floor became her best friend as she practically melted into it. Elsa glanced at a patch of rosemary by her side. She frowned, feeling quizzical. Then, she remembered: Jack had touched that very plant. It was green and thick, and Elsa wondered if it had anything to do with Jack's mysterious past.

Subconsciously, Elsa absentmindedly played with some of the rosemary, inhaling in its heady scent. Elsa took a deep breath, letting herself calm further. Then, Elsa stood up and picked up her tote back. She glanced at her watch. She now had three minutes left until her first class: history with Mr. Sandstone. Elsa bit her lip and headed towards the door. She opened, and—

—nearly crashed right into Jack Overland.

He looked as startled as she was. "Elsa, what're you _doing_ here?" he demanded out of shock more than anything else. Then, Elsa watched as his expression darkened as he got over his astonishment. "Aren't you supposed to be in class—because that's what the shy girl does? Never wants to late for anything, much less a class." His scowl deepened.

"Jack, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Elsa said, glaring.

"Why're you here _again?"_ he demanded.

"You don't _own_ this place," Elsa shot back. Then, she brushed past him and hurried to room 32, praying that she wouldn't bump into him again. Other girls, she knew, would've been thrilled to see Jackson Freaking Overland. Elsa entered the class and hurried to the back of the room. The teacher, Mr. Sandstone, was... literally dressed like he was sand. He wore a golden robe that glittered and had spiky gold hair. On his nose were a pair of gold glasses, and though Elsa couldn't see his shoes because of the robe, Elsa would've bet anything that they were gold, too. Behind the glasses were wide, surreal eyes. They were the perfect shade of gold—like molten lava.

A few more students scurried in just before the bell rang. The bell literally sounding like tiny gongs that made a weird, light, tapping noise. It was quite musical, and Elsa felt a real smile spread across her face. Mr. Sandstone clapped his hands together. "Well, well, it's a brand new year! I'm your teacher Mr. Sandstone. You can call me 'sir,' 'Mr. Sandstone,' or 'Mr. Sandstone, your great sandiness.'"

There were a few chuckles and giggles at that, and Mr. Sandstone beamed. He seemed like a very friendly teacher. "Now, ahem"—Mr. Sandstone made a huge show of clearing his throat, which caused a chorus of snickers from the class—"we'll be working on the history of the Roman times. Now, who knows about the Roman times?" When no one spoke, Mr. Sandstone said, "Well, didn't you'll learn this in elementary or middle school?!" He tsked.

"You mean the bad-ass Roman army?" called a bored voice. "Or the part of the triumvirate?"

Mr. Sandstone beamed. "Ah, what's your name, boy?"

"Jack," came the familiar voice. "Jackson Overland."

Ice invaded Elsa's veins. Was Jack seriously in her _first class?_ Worse and worse. And Elsa wouldn't have a class with Rapunzel until second period, which was at 9:50. Considering the fact that the class just started... this was definitely going to take a while. But... the class—despite Jack showing off on his answers and all—was pretty captivating. Mr. Sandstone was all sorts of interesting.

And, you know, the thing about Mr. Sandstone's outfit.

Elsa found herself digging right into the class, and as the bell rang, she was quite reluctant to leave. Hopefully, all of the teachers would be as nice and funny as Mr. Sandstone. But simultaneously, as much as Elsa loved the class, she was eager to go to her next class, which was apparently a fancy way of saying 'Physical Education.' Elsa grabbed her tote bag and hurried out of class and walked all the way across campus to the gym.

Elsa fell into line with Rapunzel as they headed over to gym. "Hey, Rapunzel."

"Hey," Rapunzel said, offering her a polite yet ecstatic smile. She gave Elsa a quick hug before saying, "Come on. Let's go to gym. Mr. North isn't exactly known for his generosity." Yikes. Elsa and Rapunzel hurried off to the locker rooms to change into their 'Preparations for Contretemps' uniform which was a basic black shirt and black shorts, which, of course, had the Rosethorn Academy logo on it. The clothes were comfortable—especially after two hours (from the time Elsa got up to the end of history) of wearing that Rosethorn Academy uniform—and Elsa welcomed the fabric. The uniform, Elsa was sure, was made for style, not comfort. It was a little stiff, but it blocked out the cold well enough.

They hurried into the gym. Mr. North had a stern look on his face, and he had a long white beard that seemed a million miles long from where Elsa was standing. "Stand in a straight line, and when I turn around, you will be standing around in a straight line!" Mr. North barked, and the students quickly scrambled into a straight line. Elsa could practically _hear_ the tension in the room.

"I am your teacher, and my name is Mr. North," he said calmly, "however, you will only refer to me as 'sir,' and if you don't, I just won't answer to you. You will call me 'sir' and treat me with respect, or I'll give you detention for a month." Elsa did not know how long detention lasted and hoped she would never get it. "I'll be very demanding of you, but you will split up into the assigned partners I will read off of this list. But first, let me tell you a story."

Elsa bit her lip and mouthed to Rapunzel _a story?_ Rapunzel merely shrugged.

"Now, I should've died two years ago," Mr. North said. "That's right." He jabbed a finger at himself. "Yours truly should've died two years ago. I could barely breathe the moment I was born, but I grew up playing sports and running. Running a _lot._ And that, you see, is what saved yours truly. Running opened up my lungs and allowed me to breathe, but we'll gloss over that."

Murmurs rose in the room, and Mr. North glared. "Do _not_ speak unless I directly speak to you or compel you to, understand?" A soft chorus of 'yes, sir' rose in the room, and Mr. North humphed. Then, he pulled out his clipboard. "Snow White and Flynn Rider." Then, Mr. North continued to read off names. Then, after a million years, he finally said, "Elsa Wynters and..." Mr. North squinted at his clipboard before looking up. "Jackson Overland."

Ice invaded Elsa's veins. _Impossible._ There was no way Jack Freaking Overland was in the same class as her for the first _two_ periods—and there was absolutely no way _anyone_ would pair the two of them up together. Even the universe could _not_ be that cruel. Mr. North glanced up when no one stepped up. "Elsa Wynters and Jackson Overland!" he boomed.

Reluctantly, Elsa stepped up, and Jack did, too. She didn't look at Jack for fear of glaring at him, and Mr. North would probably only allow good sportsmanship. After everyone was paired up (Rapunzel's partner was a girl named Jasmine), Mr. North announced, "We will be practically self-defense and combat and whatnot. Yes, you heard me: you get to punch your partner."

And very suddenly, Elsa perked up. She wouldn't get in trouble for punching Jack, and god knew how much she wanted to.

Jack turned to her, and suddenly, he seemed a lot happier. Of course, it was the twisted kind of optimism. Jack leapt at her in a tackling position, and Elsa barely rolled to the side before he nearly tackled her. _Guess all that time hiding from the librarians and school bullies paid off,_ Elsa thought as a scowl curled up on Jack's lips. He corrected himself and lunged at her, fists extended. Elsa dropped to the ground, rolled to the side, and got back up.

Jack turned, and then Elsa curled her hand into a fist, ready to knock the living daylights out of him.

Only, there was one problem. Jack grabbed her wrist while her fist was inches away from his perfectly sculpted face. Elsa froze, and all she was really aware of was his fingers wrapped around her wrist. His fingers were warm, which surprised her, but Jack seemed surprised by his bold actions, as well. And then, he shook his head and brought her down against the ground.

Elsa was about to get up when Jack went on top of her, his hands pinning her wrists against the ground. She glared at him, and he sneered, triumph shining out of his beautiful, glacier-pale eyes. Elsa could see his chest heaving, and as he exhaled, Elsa felt her body stiffen. His breath was warm—probably from exerting himself—and smelled faintly of peppermints, which were Elsa's favorite type of sweet.

"Get off," she said, glaring.

"Why?" he demanded, face inches away from hers.

"You're heavy," she answered.

Jack laughed, and it was the first time Elsa heard him laugh. It was a _real_ laugh, filled with light and soul and _life._ His laugh was husky, and it laughed for a few thrilling heartbeats. Elsa froze, unaware of anything else. _Curse Jack Overland,_ Elsa swore angrily, _and his stupid laugh._ Was this guy seriously real? His _laugh_ seemed too ethereal to be real, and that wasn't even considering the rest of him.

"Am I?" he said, rolling his frost-colored eyes. "Am I _really?"_

"Yes, now get off."

"I'll cut you a deal," he said cockily, like he had already won the deal. Elsa didn't answer but merely glared. Her glare must've been effectively because some of Jack's coldness was lost now. Then, he sighed as if she was just a troublesome kid wasting his time. "This is the part when you're supposed to ask me what the deal is?" he said, blinking.

"I don't want your deal."

"Then fine. I just won't get off you. I don't care about classes, but _you_ do."

Elsa bit her lip. He had her there. "Fine. What's your precious deal?" she spat out.

A sinister smile curled up onto Jack's lips. "You can go in the garden, but you can't go near the rosemary."

"Fine, I won't go near your precious rosemary. Now get off, you heavy oaf."

Jack hovered over her for several more heartbeats before he finally released her. Elsa rubbed herself, as if she was trying to remove taint. He chuckled at her before his eyes went cold again, and Elsa glared. Jack glared back and stood up. "Now hurry up. I'm not going to lag behind class because I'm forced to be with a partner who can't hold her breakfast."

Elsa glared but didn't try to contradict him. Instead, she focused on trying to punch him. The class was basically a torture machine, and Elsa was sore all over by the time the class was done. She hurried into the locker room and changed into her Rosethorn Academy uniform. As she walked out of the locker room, she fell into step with Rapunzel. "That class was a torture session."

Rapunzel shot her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I heard you were paired with Jack."

"Yeah, and all he did was push me around or taunt me," Elsa said, rubbing her arms.

"I'm sorry," Rapunzel said, hugging Elsa gingerly, no doubt worried about any possible wounds.

"Not your fault," Elsa said as they approached the door. "Look, I'll see you at lunch, and we'll talk," Elsa said, waving a good-bye at Rapunzel. Elsa hung her head down low as she walked through the halls. No one noticed her, and suddenly, Elsa felt unbearably lonely. Elsa bit her lip and tried to hide her emotions—not that she needed to—no one even noticed her.

Elsa headed over to her math class, hoping the teacher Ms. Gerda would be nice—or at least nicer than Mr. North. Elsa sank into a seat at the back of the room and did all of her work. She listened dully to the teacher. At least _Jack_ wasn't in this class. Even though Elsa knew pretty much everything Ms. Gerda had to teach, the class—although boring at times—was pretty good.

And Elsa knew that she thought that because Jack wasn't there.

When lunch approached, Elsa was thrilled. She hurried over to the cafeteria and saw Rapunzel sitting with their usual group of friends. Rapunzel looked up as Elsa entered—Elsa mentally cursed herself for her noticeably pale platinum hair—and gestured her over. Elsa pointed at the lunch line, and Rapunzel nodded. Elsa quickly grabbed a sandwich and a glass of orange juice before sliding into the empty seat by Rapunzel.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Rapunzel said, gnawing on an apple.

"Yeah," Anna said, grinning. "All of these classes are fun!"

Aurora laughed. "I want to hear you say that when you reach your junior year."

"Oh, I will!" Anna said.

Tiana smiled, her teeth extremely white. "The classes are exactly like I remembered: we've got a good class, we've got a boring class, we've got a so-so class. Not much has changed about this academy. I mean, the technology's updated and all, but it's pretty much still the same." Tiana shrugged and smiled as if she was sharing a delicious secret. "Naveen's in my science."

"Ooooh!" Belle squealed. "Spill."

"You found your soul mate, Ti?" Ella teased.

"Maybe," Tiana admitted reluctantly, but her smile remained on her face. Elsa smiled faintly. She remembered what she had told Rapunzel the day they had met: _I don't believe in soul mates._ Elsa met Rapunzel's gaze and knew that she was thinking the same thing. "He and I were dissecting a frog and writing a five-page essay on it. I don't know how to describe it except for it was _magical._ And Naveen's not that bad looking either."

"Naveen's hot," Ariel agreed, "but I personally think Eric is cute."

Tooth laughed. "Then go after your guy, Ti. We'll all just find our own soulmates."

"But you guys should've been at P.E. for second period," Rapunzel said, turning to Elsa and winking. "Mr. North is just the cruelest teacher ever, and when we thought that he could get worse, he did the impossible." All eyes were on Rapunzel, and Elsa grinned. Rapunzel wasn't exaggerating _that_ much, but it was still quite amusing to watch.

"Spill!" Ella said.

"What'd he do?" Tooth breathed.

"Tell us!" Ariel pressed.

"He assigned Jack Overland as Elsa's partner," Rapunzel said, dropping the bomb. Jaws dropped, faces blanched, eyes widened. It was pretty much what Elsa expected out of this group. Rapunzel looked pleased, and she caught Elsa's gaze. Elsa rolled her pale azure eyes, but a smile unraveled on Elsa's face—a smile that Elsa could not stop.

"No," Tiana breathed.

"Freaking," Belle gasped.

"Way," Aurora finished.

"Way," Rapunzel said, grinning at their reactions. "It was just so horrible for Elsa." Sympathetic murmurs rose between everyone, and Elsa felt herself blush at the attention. Every gaze was directed at her, sympathy shining out of their eyes. Elsa lowered her gaze and nervously played with a lock of her pale hair, swallowing hard. She was glad when Rapunzel switched the subject, probably for her benefit. "And you guys had history, right? That was my third class, and Mr. Sandstone really did it! He had the most golden outfit _ever!"_

After lunch was over, Elsa said her good-byes and reluctantly headed over to her next class: the arts of drama. She missed her friends' friendly and wild air already. But still. Rapunzel was with her as they had the same fourth period class. Elsa smiled and nodded occasionally as Rapunzel powered on about different topics. But Rapunzel seemed satisfied—if a little suspicious—at Elsa's attitude.

"Do you like drama?"

Elsa turned to Rapunzel and smiled a little. "I wouldn't say that I like it—because, you know, there are a lot of complications with that—but it's not to say that I hate or anything. You could say that I simply admire it as a form of art. It's... well, it's interesting to watch on TV, right?" Elsa said, grinning. "It's like that Cloud 9 movie. There was a lot of drama in that."

Rapunzel grinned. "Totally!"

The girls headed into the class with bright smiles. Elsa's smile immediately disappeared as her gaze landed on a tall guy with frosty crystallines for eyes and pale hair the color of snow. Rapunzel followed Elsa's gaze, and Rapunzel shrugged helplessly. Elsa buried her face in her hands. "No, no, no, it's like someone purposing did this! How is it possible that I now have _three_ whole classes with _Jack Overland?!"_

Rapunzel chuckled. "Who knows?"

"I still think someone's in charge of the whole soul mate thing," Elsa grumbled. "But whoever did this was mistaken."

"Who knows? Maybe at the end of the year, drama will be your favorite class," Rapunzel mused.

"Unlikely."

Mr. Pabbie stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a simple tie and suit. But his eyes were darker and wiser than the rest of his face, and he had a light sprinkling of straw-colored hair on his head. Elsa felt a small smile curl up onto her lips as she watched Mr. Pabbie. "Your classwork will be to paint the first thing that comes to your mind," Mr. Pabbie said, gesturing towards the easels. "Don't think and just let your brush guide you. We'll discuss homework at the end of the class."

Alas, Elsa didn't have homework for her other classes, so she was bound to get homework. She just didn't expect it to be on the first day. Elsa headed over to an easel and touched the canvas on it. She saw a mix of colors on a palette. Without thinking, Elsa selected a pretty blue color. She painted with many other blues and anticipated every stroke. It came out exactly how she wanted it to.

What she didn't expect was to draw two brilliant eyes—eyes that were too ethereal and surreal to be real. They weren't unlike Elsa's, but these eyes held more depth, more meaning. Those eyes were gorgeous, and Elsa smiled at them. "What'd you draw there, Elsa?" Rapunzel said, turning to scrutinize Elsa's canvas. Then, Rapunzel's jaw dropped slightly. "Elsa..?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you draw Jack's eyes?"

"W-what?" But now that Rapunzel had mentioned it, those eyes _did_ look like Jack's. Elsa frowned. "Those..." Elsa hesitated. Then, she defiantly said, "I can hate him and still like his eyes." The answer sounded stupid, but what else did Elsa have to lose? She stared at the canvas and suddenly had a sudden urge to destroy it.

"Whatever you say," Rapunzel said softly. Elsa turned away. "Don't get angry," Rapunzel murmured.

Elsa clenched her fists. "I'm _not_ getting angry."

"You're getting angry."

Elsa sighed and shrugged off her anger. "I'm fine. I don't know where that came from."

"Don't freak out, but Jack saw your painting."

Elsa sighed. "Great. Just great. You know, this day has just been _perfect._ I mean, three classes with Jack?" Elsa laughed bitterly. "Every other girl would kill to have my schedule—maybe kill _me_ to get it. Yeah, because Jack just takes a girl and doesn't just have flings with that." Elsa shook her head darkly. "He's a jerk, and I don't see why so many girls like him. They're just..."

"Just..?"

"Infatuated with him!" Elsa exclaimed.

Rapunzel laughed. "Yeah, definitely."

Elsa glared at her canvas. It stared pitifully back at her—the eyes she'd painted didn't hold Jack's usual cockiness or arrogance. These eyes were... like a breath of warmth on a chilling, gelid day. Elsa sighed. Jack's eyes were gorgeous—but there was something dark and devious that marred their angelic embrace. "Let's just get this class over with," Elsa grumbled. "Mr. Pabbie said we have homework anyway."

The minutes of the class seemed to drag by slowly, but Elsa spent most of the time brooding at her canvas. She hadn't known she could draw like that—she hadn't known _what_ she was drawing until she had drawn it. But she knew why: the eyes she had painted were everything and nothing like Jack's. They looked exactly like Jack's—they were glacier-pale and long-lashed—but these eyes held a warmth—an intensity—that Elsa knew would never appear in Jack's cold eyes.

About half an hour before class ended, Mr. Pabbie said, "I suppose we will have to discuss the homework. This _is_ a drama class, after all, and I want you students to write something. Something that describes yourself. We'll be getting into the drama soon enough, but I'm sure you students are talented enough to write something about yourselves. We'll be writing a play composed by the students with the best descriptions of themselves. You have one day—for the description thing. It is due tomorrow. Begin."

Elsa took a seat and stared despairingly at her blank sheet of paper. She wrote her name at the top in her neat scrawl and stared at the piece of paper, as if she was willing for words to appear on it. Elsa sighed and picked up a pen. And for ten minutes, all she managed to do was press the pen's tip so hard down into the paper that it fabricated an ugly black smudge. Elsa crumpled up the paper and picked out a new one with an excessive amount of time. Elsa turned to Rapunzel, and her friend rolled her eyes and said the obvious.

"Quit stalling."

"I am _not_ stalling."

Elsa was _totally_ stalling.

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "Then why haven't you written anything yet?" Elsa didn't say anything, and Rapunzel said ruefully. _"Elsa,"_ she said in an incredulous way. "Fine." Rapunzel shoved her paper over to Elsa and said, "Read mine for inspiration. I'm not the best writer, but at least I tried, Elsa. That's the point: _tried._ Something you blatantly didn't do."

Elsa sighed and picked up Rapunzel's paper. She began to read it:

 _Hey, my name is Rapunzel. You know, that girl that has long hair. You_ know _you've stepped on my hair at least once, so say your apologies. I'm a very forgiving person. I also notice that I talk a lot. DON'T JUDGE. I bet_ lots _of you talk a lot, so don't go labeling me with your stupid verdicts. I won't care, so to speak. I guess I'm just one of those people who stick up for other people. I like helping others, but I'm too adventurous sometimes. If I give up on something, you should know that I've tried at least five million times. But who are you to judge? Who am_ I _to judge? But my name is Rapunzel. I'm your average 16-year-old... just... not._

Elsa laughed at Rapunzel. "Nice."

"Liar."

"No, I'm serious," Elsa said truthfully. "I think that you are crazy and bold, but I'm sure you see yourself that way, too. You should add funny."

Rapunzel gazed thoughtfully at her. "Alright then." She scribbled something else on the paper and handed it back to Elsa. "Alright... I think it's... okay, read it." Elsa smiled and took the paper. Squished between two lines was the tiniest handwriting Elsa had ever seen. Elsa looked up at Rapunzel, who smiled ruefully. Then, Elsa began to read to extra line:

 _I'm also funny._ Elsa grinned at that line and continued to read. _See? You laughed. I'm a comedian._

Elsa laughed. "Rapunzel, that's _so_ not how you write comedy."

"And how would you know?" Rapunzel demanded, a smile in her eyes. " _I'm_ the comedian, remember?" Then, Rapunzel snatched her paper back and turned to Elsa with a slightly softer, sympathetic smile. "I'm sure yours will be great," Rapunzel added ruefully. "I mean, what you painted for Jack's eyes was... wow. They were different, but... it was a _good_ different."

Elsa sighed and began to write:

 _Hi, my name is Elsa._

Elsa groaned. That was not right. Elsa crossed it out and tried a different tactic:

 _Unnoticed. Shy. Scared._

Elsa took a deep breath, not exactly liking the lines—but not hating them, not exactly. They were a hell of a lot better than 'Hi, my name is Elsa.' So there's that. Elsa took a deep breath and thought about Mr. Pabbie's words: _I want you students to write something. Something that describes yourself._ Elsa took a deep breath and sighed, glancing at her paper. Time to write. There was no going back.

 _Unnoticed. Shy. Scared. She doesn't know who she is, exactly, so how is she to put it on paper? She watches those around her, wondering what they are thinking. She tries to ignore the ache that can only be described as loneliness in her chest, and she fakes her smile because it's just easier to do that than explain what's wrong. But... sometimes, she just wants to let go. She wants to be brave, but she doesn't know how.  
_

 _She's scared and insecure. She wants to curl up in a ball and cry her way through the day sometimes, and sometimes, it takes everything she's got to get up and get moving. She feels separate to the community though she is surrounded by people. She wants to be noticed, but at the same time, she doesn't. Because bad things always happen when she is noticed._

 _She doesn't know what's going on, and that makes her feel scared and nervous. The anxiety eats at her, and she just doesn't know how to feel. She wants the ground to open up and swallow her so that she doesn't have to go through with anything at all. Maybe it'll be better that way. Because the fire already consumed her mother. Her father closes those around him. She doesn't know what to do.  
_

 _But she knows that she has to do something_ _—because even if it's the wrong thing to do, she'll still be doing something. And at the end of the day, she doesn't have to say that she did nothing, because that's the worse crime of it all. And it will eat at her. And sometimes, she breaks and wonders if she'll ever come out of the shell she's been holding herself in.  
_

 _Do you know who she is? Because she doesn't. She doesn't want to be the victim, and she doesn't want to hate anyone_ _—even if she does. And maybe it will get better. But she doesn't know. She's scared to talk about the truth because the truth is basically admitting something she's scared of_ _—and she's scared of that. And maybe... maybe it's good to keep that fear.  
_

 _But what isn't right is keeping all of her emotions locked up inside. She listens to others' troubles to distract herself from her own demons. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But she wants to know about people. She wants to learn and soak up every piece of knowledge the world throws at her. But she's weak, and she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know where her future is and if she'll even make it there._

 _But hey, we're all still uncovering who we are. I'll find my way. One day.  
_

Elsa put her pen down, suddenly realizing how much she had written. Elsa blushed—and was glad that no one noticed her enough to see her redden. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Elsa saw Jack Overland staring at her, or to be more accurate, the easel by her side: which showed Jack's brilliant eyes. Jack's eyes narrowed, and Elsa swallowed by the bitter hatred rising through her.

Elsa turned away from him but not before she caught the length of his paper. He sure had written a lot—and it was probably as mindless at Jack was. The bell rang, and Elsa was too eager to get away from the class to enjoy the beauty of the bell. She had English with Mr. O'laf next. Hopefully this Mr. O'laf was nice. It had already been a long day, and Elsa was starting to feel tired.

Mr. O'laf turned out to be one of the funniest teachers Elsa had ever met. He had a very happy-to-go feel to him, and he was always just so... optimistic. It was really truly refreshing, and Elsa found herself smiling so hard that her face hurt. Elsa found herself laughing with Rapunzel throughout the lesson. The class flew by so quickly, and Mr. O'laf was really a great teacher. He managed the twist a lesson about personifications into something really nice—and better yet: there was no homework!

Elsa went to her next class. She had gotten a good feel on how the other teachers worked. Elsa yawned as she entered the science class. She noticed the teacher Mr. Oaken immediately. Mr. Oaken was very... interesting. He just mostly made the class take notes—which was easy yet boring. Elsa felt better as soon as dinner came along. She would have an hour of peace before her last French class.

Elsa hurried over to the cafeteria and sat at her regular table with Rapunzel, Anna, Tooth, Aurora, Ella, Belle, Ariel, and Tiana after grabbing a sandwich and a glass of water. She felt famished after that day—which wasn't even over yet—of work, work, and more work. Rapunzel was drawling about one thing or another, and Elsa helped herself to her much-needed sandwich. Everything was great.

And then Rapunzel ruined it.

"And then Elsa painted the most amazing thing ever!"

Elsa buried her face in her hands as all eyes turned to her. "No, it wasn't."

"No, it was!" Rapunzel argued. All eyes were on Rapunzel now—which toned down Elsa's unease by a fraction. Elsa dreaded Rapunzel's next words even she knew that they were completely and utterly inevitable. Oh well. It was just as well. Someone—probably Jack due to him spreading gossip all the time (at least, that's what Elsa assumed)—would probably find out and pass on the news."Elsa painted these beautiful blue eyes—and she said that she didn't even know what she was doing."

"I didn't say that," Elsa said slowly.

"Well, you looked like you thought it," Rapunzel powered on. "Anyway, the eyes she painted were so blue. They were like Jack's eyes—no, they _were_ Jack's eyes." Ugh. Rapunzel had just dropped the bomb. And as much as Elsa loved Rapunzel, sometimes, her talkative nature was a bit annoying. But still, Rapunzel was a great friend, so Elsa didn't really have much of a right to feel this bitter.

"You drew _Jack's_ eyes?" Anna said, eyes wide.

"I thought you hated him," Ariel said softly.

"Ha!" Tooth exclaimed. "I knew it: soul mates for life!"

Elsa shook her head and stood up. "I'm going to get some air," she muttered as she hurried out of the cafeteria—making sure that she wasn't going _too_ fast: she didn't want to seem like some desperate fool—which she was, but that wasn't the point. Elsa took a deep breath as soon as exited. She made a sharp right turn and glanced at her watch: _7:25._ Class started at _7:40,_ so Elsa had a good fifteen minutes.

So, naturally, Elsa went to the garden.

She heeded Jack's warning and stayed away from his favorite bush of rosemary and inside headed over to the lavenders. She had clearly remembered seeing Jack in the cafeteria chatting animatedly with his friends, so he had no reason to come here, right? Elsa hoped so. She didn't think she'd be able to stand another minute of Jack for today. But at least she only had three classes with him—that was bearable, at least.

Elsa's fingers brushed against a hydrangea plant. The hydrangea had a deliciously tangy scent, and Elsa inhaled the brilliant, calming aroma of the intriguing flowers. Elsa didn't know why Jack liked rosemary—it was literally a green bush because the flowers hadn't bloomed yet—but he must like it for a reason. The flowers were a soft lilac color, but the core was a blue so sparkling that reminded Elsa of an old scented candle that her father had bought her mother once.

And yeah, the thing about Jack's eyes, too.

And speak of the devil.

Seriously. Was the universe _always_ this unfair? Or was Elsa just an exception?

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Seriously?! What're you doing here _again?!"_

Jack stared incredulously as Elsa turned towards him. She glared and said, "First of all, I didn't touch your precious rosemary. That was the deal. Second of all, you didn't say I couldn't come here—and besides, if you want to come, why can't you just ditch class to come, seeing as you don't care about class whatsoever! I'm surprised you haven't flunked your way out already!"

"I went to my classes, thank you very much," Jack scoffed, crossing his arms. Jack headed over to his favorite rosemary bush and inspected it like he was a professional inspector. Then, Jack whirled around and glared at Elsa. "If there's so much as a broken branch, you'll wish you were never born," Jack threatened. Of course, there was the part about Jack being expelled if he did anything to Elsa, but she didn't need to know that.

"Screw with me, and the academy will kick you out," Elsa snarled. Well... turns out she knew already. Then, Elsa took a seat by a tree like nothing happened and closed her eyes, as if she was extremely enervated. Then, she began to hum softly, and Jack frowned, startled. Great. Another thing to add to his mental list of _Annoying Things That Elsa Does._

But as Elsa continued to hum, Jack found that he rather enjoyed Elsa's voice. It was... comforting, he begrudged. He didn't know that she could sing—of course, most students at Rosethorn Academy could sing, so there was that. Jack pretended that he was ignoring her voice, but he _liked_ her humming. It was sweet and soothing, and for a heartbeat, Jack forgot that he hated her.

Of course, there was a difference between hating _her_ and liking her voice.

It felt like the most awkward five minutes of Jack's life, pretending to not be listening to the song while straining his ears to hear what she was humming. The wind whistling through the air didn't exactly help, and Elsa's voice was so _quiet._ Jack wished that she was anyone _but_ Elsa. If anyone else had that magnificent voice, he would've listened eagerly.

But since it was Elsa... he couldn't help but hate some parts of it.

Then, her voice stopped, and Jack came back to reality. Elsa stood up, shot him a burning look, and walked out of the garden. Jack stayed where he was, the sound of Elsa's voice lingering with him. Then, Jack stood up and glanced at his watch. _Crap._ Two minutes to class. Jack took off sprinting to his next class, which was English with Mr. O'laf. He slunk into the room and into his seat just before the bell rang.

Mr. O'laf wasn't the worst teacher in the world, but he wasn't exactly the best. Of course, Jack's naturally unimpressed attitude might've not helped with that, let's gloss over that. Jack sulked quietly in his seat, not really paying attention to pretty much anything. When the class was over, Jack headed over to his dorm. He pulled out his paper for _The Arts of Drama_ and read it quietly:

 _My name is Jackson Overland, but I'm sure you've heard of me. And once you've heard of me, I'm sure you'll remember me. I mean, who_ wouldn't? _I'm just that face you can't forget. I'm like a song you hate (but grow to love very easily) but get twisted into your brain anyway. I'm also not much of a writer, but I suppose I'll give this little assignment a shot._

 _I'm a very private person, but hey. We're in high school, and I'm entitled to my privacy. Call me arrogant if it makes you feel better about yourself, but I will gladly say that I am the incredibly apt definition of the word perfect. I have the coolest hair in the world, and my eyes—as I'm told on multiple occasions_ _—are unforgettable. We're all casualties here, but I'm just too perfect.  
_

 _Once I'm seen, I'm never forgotten. But if you know me (and of course you know me), you'll know that I'm determined. And right now, I am determined to discover who is the girl behind her smile. Now, I don't even know why I want to do this because I'm not exactly on friendly terms with this girl. She hides behind her forced smile, and her haunting blue irises shows more depth to the flat character you might see. Do you know her? If you do, just save yourself the time and don't tell me._

 _But I know you're there, girl behind her smile, so tell me, who are you_ really?

Jack had crossed himself as brilliant when he had written that in class, but now, he was having second thoughts. But he didn't add anymore features other than 'haunting blue irises' and 'forced smile,' so people might not know. Of course, he _had_ written 'not exactly on friendly terms,' so there was that. He didn't outright say that he hated her—that would be too obvious—but still... Ugh, this was going to bother him. Because even though Jack had swore that he wouldn't let this bother him, it was bothering him—and not just once a week. It was on a _daily basis._

Like now, for example.

Jack stared at the ceiling, eyes open but not really seeing anything. "Who are you, Elsa, and what have you done to me?" he whispered.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa closed her eyes as she listened to a song on her phone, headphones plugged in. What was it called? Oh yeah, _Purpose_ by Justin Bieber. Elsa herself wasn't a big fan of Justin, but somehow, this song—with its slow piano—was comforting to her. Perhaps it was high time Elsa took up the piano again—if she ever had the time. Elsa sighed. Music was the one thing in her life that kept her sane throughout her troubles.

Elsa got up and pulled out her assignment for Mr. Pabbie. Her fingers trailed against the paper, and Elsa felt a sad smile curl up onto her lips. Elsa got up and opened the doors to her balcony. She swept the doors open and stepped outside, letting the wind billow through her hair and shake her spirit. Elsa shivered but didn't recoil from the wind's fierce embrace.

"I should really be sleeping," Elsa murmured to herself.

"Yeah, you should."

Elsa jumped five feet in the air. "Rapunzel, what're you doing here?!" Elsa said, slightly freaked out. Rapunzel looked so smug as she tugged her hair down to Elsa's balcony. Rapunzel entered Elsa's dorm, and Elsa followed her, feeling slightly numb. Elsa closed the door behind them. "Rapunzel, you can't keep doing this. You're going to get caught."

Rapunzel shrugged and paced across the room in a very obnoxious manner that made Elsa giggle. Rapunzel was certainly one of a kind. "Elsa, this is _high school._ This is what we do. We're rebellious—we're crazy, but we have a good time. So," Rapunzel mused, taking a seat down on the floor that made Elsa raise an eyebrow, "what're you planning on doing tonight?"

"Uh—sleep?"

"Wrong answer!" Rapunzel exclaimed, looking absolutely horrified at the prospect of 'sleeping.' "Come _on."_

"Rapunzel, I'm not going to get in trouble," Elsa said doubtfully, "not on the first day of school."

Rapunzel looked disappointed but said, "Another time then."

"Rapunzel..?"

Rapunzel turned towards her, and Elsa sighed. "Yeah?" Rapunzel said, her eyes too bright. Elsa didn't say anything, but Rapunzel said, "Why would you think anything is wrong?" Rapunzel collapsed into a shaking bundle, and Elsa was grateful that Rapunzel had been sitting down. "Elsa, I _hate_ Flynn. He's the stupidest guy ever, and I don't know what I ever saw in him!"

Elsa froze. "Tell me what happened from the start."

"Flynn kept going on and on about what a great voice Ariel has, and I just don't know how I'm going to face either of them tomorrow," Rapunzel said, shaking. Elsa frowned. She could understand Rapunzel's situation—completely—but did Flynn _just_ say that Ariel had a great voice? Elsa quirked an eyebrow at Rapunzel, and Rapunzel finally forced out, "They're doing a duet together—that's what he said."

"One duet between them isn't going to change your relationship with him," Elsa said gently as she wondered how did Rapunzel manage to visit Flynn and find out all of this. But Elsa meant her words. And frankly, Elsa didn't understand why a duet between Flynn and Ariel was so important to Rapunzel. They were going to sing a song—they weren't going on a secret date.

"They're singing _I See The Light,"_ Rapunzel said flatly.

Elsa froze. "Wait—that's the song _you_ sang with him, correct?"

Now _that_ was a serious betrayal. "I thought Ariel had a thing for Eric."

"I just—I don't know what to think," Rapunzel burst out. "Should I go do a duet with someone else, too?"

Elsa laughed. "Rapunzel, I think you're being ridiculous and delusional. Just go sleep on it, and tomorrow, we'll get to the bottom of this, okay?" she said gently as she patted Rapunzel's shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing—Flynn wouldn't do that to you. He's not as bad as Jack, and he doesn't seem like the type, okay?" Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, and Elsa sighed. "Okay, sure he's known for his 'player' attitude, but he cares about you."

Rapunzel sighed. "I suppose you're right. I'll see you tomorrow, Else."

"See ya," Elsa said, striding over to the balcony's twin doors. She shoved them open and gestured Rapunzel to come. Rapunzel got up—sort of in a robotic-like way which creeped Elsa out, but at least Rapunzel was moving, right?—and strode over to the balcony. Then, with a little more life in her eyes, Rapunzel smiled sort of in a dazed way and tossed her hair up onto the balcony above Elsa's.

"Thanks. See ya," Rapunzel as she climbed up her hair. Elsa laughed, waved, and slammed her balcony door shut. How did things escalate this far? It was just the _first freaking day,_ and Elsa already had enough problems piled up on her. Somehow, Elsa thought that her life would be easier here. But now, she seriously wanted to trade posh and fancy back to plain and boring.

Funny how things change.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack let the scent of rosemary overwhelm him. Yes, he was in the garden, and yes, he shouldn't have been in there, but he couldn't stay away. He expected this new school to be exactly like the rest: he'd make the same joke about the Fairy Godmother, and everyone would laugh, he'd pass all of his classes with flying colors while also planning out late night parties, have a few meaningless flings, and he'd pull a massive prank with no trouble at all.

This was something new completely.

Jack curled up his hands into fists, let out a roar of anger, and punched the wall. He winced immediately and looked at his hands. He stomped on the ground, causing snow to fly around him in a flurry. "Ugh!" he yelled in frustration. He stared at the rosemary plant, and, very suddenly, hated. He wrenched the plant out from the ground with his bare hands and flung it off the ledge of the garden.

He stared at his hands, which were now caked with dirt. He curled his hands up into fists once more and stormed to the center of the garden. Then, he leapt up on the fence and jumped up to a ledge. He climbed up someone's balcony and jumped successfully to some vine-like plant growing on the walls as a sort of rope to climb up to his dorm.

He stepped inside his door and slammed the balcony's twin doors shut. He began to pace even though it was well over midnight. "I am Jackson Overland. I don't need anyone, and I most certainly don't let a lot of people in. I hate whoever I want to hate, and I don't care about things. Pointless things. I am Jackson Overland, and I am strong." He repeated that line 'I am Jackson Overland, and I am strong' like a mantra.

Finally, he sank down into his bed and sighed. He remembered Elsa's canvas, and on that canvas were a distinct pair of eyes—wide and clear and blue. They were his, he knew, but they didn't _feel_ like his. Was that what Elsa saw him? No, she hated him too much for that, so he dismissed that thought promptly. For several moments, Jack lay in his bed, feeling understandably confused.

He didn't understand she—someone he hated with a very _distinct_ passion—could invoke such hatred within him. He also didn't understand why she had drawn his eyes. But most of all... he didn't understand why she hadn't completely written him off already. She didn't ignore him like she hated him—she yelled at him... Ugh. Why were girls so confusing? Of course, maybe it didn't help that Jack never had a girl hate him and had no experience with this whatsoever.

But still... the eyes that Elsa had painted. They held meaning—a purpose.

But... was that what she _wanted_ him to be?

* * *

 **QotD: Why did I make one of the teachers 'Ms. Alse'? ;)))**

* * *

 **A/N: Review your answer to the QotD! I seriously didn't mean for this chapter to take so long, but better now than later, at least. So there's that, at least. I introduced the other teachers, and yes, Mr. Sandstone is Sandman. I just didn't think that 'Sandman' would be an appropriate name for a teacher, but oh well. I based the teachers off of my _own_ teachers. My history and english teachers are hilarious!  
**

 **So there's that.**

 **This chapter was probably all over the place, but... I don't know. The next chapter, I promise, is actually show some feeling. ;)**

 **At least, I think it will.**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	3. Something Real

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 3 - Something Real**

* * *

 **"I just can't turn away. I shouldn't see you but I can't move. I can't look away." ~Excerpt from _Just So You Know,_ Jesse McCartney**

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 **A/N: WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT! LOOKS LIKE I'M NOT DEAD!  
**

 **Well, here we are. As the title states, there will indeed be something real. And I know that I did a lot of Elsa's POV in the last chapter, so I'm going to try and even it out. If I can, that is. I'm probably moving in this story quickly, and I usually want to move in to the action slowly. But this is just how it's going to go because I sure am not going to write a stupid filler chapter of 10,000 words, thank you very much. Enjoy. ;)**

 **And I'm really sorry for not updating. I didn't know people still read it, but I'm so grateful to every single one of you! The chapter is probably going to be pretty dull because seriously. I only started working on it a week ago again after an extremely long hiatus of writing this even though I've been writing. Just for other stories.**

 **Hopefully, I'll get back on my feet, but don't expect a lot of updates. I want to finish this, I really do. Thanks!**

* * *

Elsa was really starting to hate alarm clocks.

Why does she hate alarm clocks so passionately, you may ask? Well, there was a long, long, long, long, _long_ list of reasons why (yes, four _long_ s were necessary to emphasize the point), but let's focus on the most relevant.

One, alarm clocks are loud.

Two, alarm clocks disrupt sleep.

Three, once, Anna threw an alarm clock on the muffin Elsa was eyeing. _Her. Muffin._

Of course, she didn't hate clocks as much as she hated Jack Overland—yet, anyways. But if her hate continued to accelerate at this fast rate, things might change. Of course, Elsa thought that that was really, _really_ unlikely considering how much she hated Jack. But that didn't stop Elsa from glaring daggers at her alarm clock. She didn't think she'd _ever_ get used to the academy's wacked-up schedule.

But considering how much Elsa hated Jack, it astonished her how much she took to the same garden that he had. She could envision it in her eyes already: the walls that encompassed the too-large-but-perfect garden, the large windows that blew unseasonably warm wind blew through, the scent of a million flowers, the sound of trickling water from the over-sized pond that practically took up half the garden (this was an exaggeration, by the way), the thrilling aromas, the tranquility. Elsa could almost smell the scent of currant.

 _Almost._

Elsa reluctantly left the warmth of the bed. She gazed bleary-eyed at her over-sized closet before strolling over and selecting a Rosethorn Academy uniform. She ran a hand through the fabric mournfully. As much as she appreciated the chance to get to go to an academy of this prestigiousness, she really wished the uniforms weren't so... bland.

But, perhaps bland wasn't the right word. The uniform was cool and collected, which gave Elsa the impression of no emotion whatsoever inside the doors. Of course, in truth, the students in the academy were very talented—but Elsa _did_ like the formality of the academy. It was a sort of black and white sort of thing—no gray or other colors. Just the smooth rules that made everything run in order.

Elsa quickly tugged on the uniform and was brushing her hair when a loud knock sounded on the door. Elsa took a deep breath and shot a rueful smile at the door. It _had_ to be Rapunzel. Who else would walk all the way to her room? The answer was quite simple, actually: no one. Anna didn't like getting up early, and Elsa wasn't really close to anyone other than Rapunzel.

Elsa strode over to the door and opened it, smiling at Rapunzel's gleeful expression. Apparently, whatever had happened last night was forgotten—for now. Elsa didn't think that she'd be _that_ lucky that Rapunzel would forget when Ariel showed up. Even so, Elsa doubted that it would bother Rapunzel for _that_ long. Rapunzel didn't seem like the type to hold grudges.

"Hey," Elsa said, somewhat wearily.

Rapunzel squinted at her. "Haven't you adjusted to the sleeping schedule yet?"

"No, I don't think so," Elsa said, smiling ruefully at Rapunzel. Then, Elsa turned away, feeling incredibly shy. She stared at her hands—not that _that_ helped because it just reminded her that her hands were shaking. Elsa kept her head bowed as she let Rapunzel lead her to the cafeteria. Elsa studied the cafeteria with a slight frown on her face. She didn't know who she was looking for until disgust curled up—and refused to budge—in her stomach as her gaze caught frost-colored hair.

But when the guy turned, Elsa realized that it was not, indeed, Jack but instead some random guy that Elsa vaguely recalled passing through the halls. She blushed, feeling extremely foolish. Apparently, she hated him enough that she would start hating some random guy because he had Jack Overland's hairstyle. Of course, considering the fact that this guy had mimicked Jack's look proved that he was indeed a follower of Jack, so that was good enough a reason to hate him.

Elsa stayed silent as she ate and didn't bother going into the garden this time. She did _not_ want to run into Jack "Frosty Eyes" Overland.

 _Frosty Eyes_ because that was the first thing that came to her mind when she saw him for the first time.

Elsa didn't pay attention to the conversation immersing around her but occasionally nodded (but no smiling) to prove to the others that she was indeed listening and not dead. Dead because Elsa was pale enough to be dead—except... you know... just _not._ But they didn't push her for conversation, and Elsa didn't try to make conversation.

They didn't mind. They didn't even seem to care. They merely conversed among themselves, making Elsa feel very awkward indeed.

The minutes seemed to drag by ever so slowly, and Elsa found herself glancing at the clock (even though she had a watch) at least twenty times or so a minute to see what time it was. Elsa glanced over at everyone, her heart rate gradually going up. _I can't stay in here a minute longer._ Elsa didn't remember what happened next. She just remembered running out of the room and just _running_ until she finally ended up in the library. Elsa didn't even remember what excuse she made— _if_ she made one.

But no one came after her, and that was okay.

The library was unusually empty, but there was a warm sense of 'home' to it. There were just a few students in the huge library, and they were hunched over a paper, probably scrawling down the finishings of a report that they didn't have the mind to finish last night. Elsa took a seat by a huge window and narrowed her eyes as blinding sunlight hit her peripheral vision. She didn't want to think of how her eyes would feel if she gazed directly at the sun—though she thought that she could probably make a pretty accurate estimate.

Elsa pulled out her phone and glanced around quickly. There wasn't much anyone around, and the ancient librarian sure wasn't going to catch her. She plugged her earplugs in her phone and shoved the buds in her ears. She went on Spotify and tapped something random, not sure what it was. The song was very catchy, and Elsa turned to catch the title: _Two More Lonely People_ by Miley Cyrus.

A rueful smile graced Elsa's lips as the song finished and was replaced by a different one: _Robot_ by Miley Cyrus. Elsa grinned. She would definitely be listening to those songs in the future.

Elsa drummed her fingers against her phone as she continued to listen to songs mindlessly. She wasn't paying attention to the words—just the rhythm and music.

The song stopped, and Elsa heard footsteps. Hastily shoving her earplugs and phone into her tote, Elsa turned to the window, pretending to be watching the birds outside. Through her peripheral vision, she saw the ancient librarian's somewhat suspicious glare. Elsa blushed furiously, but after what seemed like an eternity, the librarian walked away, and Elsa let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, relieved.

Warmth spread through Elsa's fingertips at the thought of getting caught. Oops.

Looks like she wasn't going to be listening to music.

Yeah, a life of fear. Totally what she wanted (note the sarcasm).

Random thoughts drifted lazily through Elsa's mind as the morning light shone down on her, making her feel very content and very, very drowsy. Her thoughts slurred, but she forced her eyes open despite the warmth and heat spreading slowly through her body. She felt a rush of warmth tingle down her spine, and she smiled a little. "Pull yourself together," she told herself.

"I was wondering where you went off to."

Elsa jumped and turned, somewhat nervously, to find Anna. She felt relief and embarrassment pool in her heart as she watched her sister. "Hey, Anna," she said in a soft voice. Anna squinted at the sunlight behind Elsa, and Elsa tried not to feel slightly pleased at the thought that Anna couldn't tell the turmoil her mind was in currently.

"Isn't this school just _awesome?"_ Anna said cheerfully, oblivious.

Elsa cracked a smile. "Awesome. Totally."

Anna didn't catch Elsa's sarcasm, but to be fair, it was fairly well hidden. But all the same, Anna wasn't one to catch a lot of sarcasm because of her bright, sunshine-y attitude that reminded Elsa of one of those overly cheerful commercial people. "The classes are just so _awesome!"_ Anna said, chattering like a chipmunk. "And the people are just so friendly!"

Elsa smiled lightly. "It's an awesome school." In a lower voice, she added, "Though I'm not so sure about the people."

Anna seemed a bit thrown off by her words (maybe she _had_ noticed the sarcasm), but Anna was smiling again before long. "You're smiling," she said to Elsa, a hint of accusation (only a hint because it really wasn't in her nature to be full on accusatory) lacing her delicate voice. Elsa shrugged, somewhat nervously, and Anna's grin widened. "That was an observation," Anna announced.

Elsa laughed lightly though her laughter was more of the hysterical kind. "Awesome."

"So," Anna said brightly, "what are you doing around here?"

Elsa shrugged. "I just wanted some peace and quiet." _And a break from all the talking._

Anna smiled, seemingly satisfied by the answer. "It _is_ quiet here. A little _too_ quiet, if you ask me."

Elsa raised in an eyebrow and smiled in false enthusiasm. "You don't say," she said, sarcasm dripping off her voice.

Anna didn't catch the sarcasm. Then again, Anna didn't really catch any problems. She was always the happy-go-lucky type. Lucky _her._

"Are you going to _stay_ here?" Anna said perkily.

"What's wrong with it?" Elsa said defensively, not quite demanding.

"Nothing," Anna said, tilting her head in a way that reminded Elsa of a confused puppy. "It's just so… _quiet..._ And frankly a little boring. What do you do here?"

Elsa smiled. "Read."

Anna looked skeptical. "Read?"

"Yes, read."

"Um, alright?" Anna got up. "Well, I'm going to go back to the lunch room! See ya later, sis!" Anna said, and Elsa smiled, feeling a wave of affection for her sister. It was nice to see her so carefree whereas Elsa was not. They seemed like polar opposites (heck, they probably _were),_ but Elsa loved her sister anyway. Anna was certainly one of a kind, yes she was.

Elsa pulled out her earplugs once more and drowned herself in the melodies and harmonies. She sighed softly before gently putting the items back into her tote. Elsa tipped her head and looked out the window, a wry smile gracing her lips. Elsa then rummaged through her bag until she found a piece of paper. She pulled out a pen and scrawled some song lyrics from the song she had been listening to on it:

 _I thought you said it was easy, listening to your heart. I thought you said I'd be okay. So why am I breaking apart? Don't wanna be torn._

Elsa smiled, feeling slightly better. She stared at the words. They burned into her mind. What was that song called? Oh right: _Don't Wanna Be Torn_ from Hannah Montana, performed by Miley Cyrus.

She sighed a little, feeling her palms heat up nervously. Elsa hummed a bit under her breath and didn't realize what she was humming until she listened to herself. She smiled shyly to herself and sang softly, _"'I thought you said it was easy… listening to your heart…. I thought you said I'd be okay—so why am I breaking apart… Don't wanna be torn… Don't wanna be torn… Don't wanna be torn… Don't wanna be torn…"_

Elsa blushed a little. She was quick to learn song lyrics—it was easier to learn the harmonies and the words than actual words on a sheet of paper.

Elsa made a mental note to listen to that song again.

Elsa's attention got caught on a book. It was a fairly simple book with a smooth black cover, but there was something about it that Elsa found instantly appealing. She reached over to it tentatively and flipped to a random page, feeling rather rebellious at not starting at the beginning! She giggled. " _Such_ an act of rebellion, Elsa," Elsa murmured to herself, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Elsa stared at the page:

 _But maybe it wasn't hate after all. After all, what right did I have to judge? I have only ever hated one person. But maybe, maybe it wasn't because it wasn't the person. Maybe I was feeling numb and wanted to feel something. Anything. Anything would be better than this numbness. But I don't really want to hate anyone. Because seriously? Did hating someone really come out good? No, I don't think so. But maybe I could try again._

 _Too bad my brain was screaming_ no _at me. So there was that._

Elsa stared suspiciously at the book she held. **(By the way, that didn't come from any book. It came from me and my crazy mind/soul/heart, so if there's anything similar about it to other books, there's no copyright intended; thank you very much; and this is only used because yours truly wants it to move on the story.)** Elsa closed the book and put it down firmly. There was no possible way that this book said those exact words, right? Because that stuff only happened in dreams... or nightmares.

Elsa stepped back from the book, convinced that it was some sort of omen.

Then, Elsa relaxed. _I'm just crazy. There's no need to rebuff the peace in this library because of some wacked-up book. No reason at all._ So Elsa sat down by the window again and relaxed her spine against the comfort of the chair. Elsa peeked out the window, and the warmth of the sunlight drenched her. Elsa closed her eyes for a fleeting heartbeat. She glanced at her watch. _10 minutes left._

Elsa stared at her hands. They were still shaking. Perhaps, at the end of the year, her hands would stop shaking.

Elsa closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She could handle stress and anxiety—she'd been pretending her entire life, after all—so why was she melting down _now?_ Elsa took a deep breath. _Breath, Elsa, breathe,_ Elsa told herself. Her breathing returned to normal, and Elsa sighed again. She bathed in the warmth of the sunlight for a long moment, lingering in the brief moment of comfort.

She had classes to get to. Elsa hurried to her first class and didn't really pay much attention to it—how could she? Her thoughts were elsewhere. She shuffled through her classes. She spent lunch alone in the library, curled up in a corner and drowning in her own thoughts like an idiot who had nothing better to do—never mind how depressing they were.

Elsa groaned as she headed to Room 82. But it was better to get the class over with—it was her last class with "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Mr. Pabbie grinned at them, all excited. "Don't look so worried, children," he said, crossing his arms as the front row of shifting students. "I'm not going to _force_ you to read your reports aloud. I'm not a sadist." A few students grumbled a contradictory statement which Mr. Pabbie completely ignored. Elsa ducked her head lower. Then, Mr. Pabbie's gaze shot up. "Mr. Frost, do you have anything you'd like to share?"

Elsa turned her head, as did everyone else, out of curiosity. Jack was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper, and Elsa could see his messy scrawl marring the paper. Oh whatever did that piece of paper do to receive Jack's torture? Jack stopped mid-word and looked up slowly, scowling. "No, Mr. Pabbie," he said tightly. Mr. Pabbie quirked an eyebrow, and Jack sighed, making a big show out of getting out of his seat and handing Mr. Pabbie the paper with a resigned sigh.

"' _I used to be afraid of the dark. But I grew to love it. The darkness doesn't judge you for not being perfect. I can be alone in the dark, with only my thoughts as company, and strangely enough, I would feel more at home than ever,'"_ Mr. Pabbie recited. His gaze was unreadable as it landed on Jack, who was shifting noticeably uncomfortably in his seat. "Mr. Overland…"

"Sir?" came Jack's bored reply.

"You _must_ write the play for the class!" Mr. Pabbie all but shrieked gleefully, and the first two rows of students jumped in surprise. Elsa, in her seat in the corner farthest from the window and teacher's desk (trust her, she knew the best places to attract the least attention), rested her chin in her palm. Did Mr. Pabbie really think that? "Well, Mr. Overland?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" Then, he paused before smiling, showing all of his pearly-white teeth. Elsa scowled. Did he _have_ to smirk _all_ the time? It was so freaking annoying. "If you could tell the rest of my teachers that I'm busy devoting all my time to this masterpiece, no homework from them would be very well appreciated." Elsa's scowl deepened. What a douche.

"Alright," Mr. Pabbie said with a little shrug. The students in the class grumbled, but half of them were for Jack, who was still smirking. If the class didn't end, Elsa was sure she would scream or something. "I'm sure we could work something out," Mr. Pabbie said, gaze contemplative. "When do you think you could get started? When do you think it'll be done?"

Jack shrugged. "It depends, really, on how much I'm into it."

Mr. Pabbie didn't quite manage a smirk, but it was something very close. Maybe he learned it from all the smirking Jack had done. _Smug bastard,_ Elsa thought darkly as she watched Jack drink in all the attention. "Then we'd better get you _into_ it, capisci?" Jack laughed lightly, and Elsa was sure that his laugh was _at_ Mr. Pabbie and not _with_ Mr. Pabbie.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll call it shadows," Jack said, and Elsa was suddenly very, very unnerved when he turned in her direction, her gaze boring on her. Elsa didn't meet his gaze but sank further into her desk timidly. But when she looked to see if he was still staring, his gaze was firmly trained on Mr. Pabbie's, and Elsa wondered if she had just imagined it.

"Shadows. A brilliant title," Mr. Pabbie said. "That's not unoriginal at all."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the sarcasm. "I'll probably base it off the little excerpt you read to the _entire class._ It'll be about a girl." Elsa's head shot up in alarm. "I think they have more troubles," he said cockily, and Elsa glared hard in his direction. He turned and smirked at her, and Elsa shrank back until she saw that his gaze was hard and serious. "I don't know. We'll just see, won't we?"

Mr. Pabbie smiled tightly. "Well, pass up your papers everyone."

After listening to Mr. Pabbie droning on for several more minutes, Elsa quickly got bored of listening. It wasn't because Mr. Pabbie was a bad teacher—because he wasn't—but Elsa's thoughts just didn't agree with the teacher and instead drifted off on other matters. Mr. Pabbie only interrupted her thoughts when he told the class to finish up on whatever homework they had for other classes or something while he started correcting their papers.

Elsa doodled in her notebook, sighing. She scratched out what she had drawn and drew it again but differently before sighing again and scratching that out. Elsa repeated this process for about ten minutes before she heard her name being called. She looked up to see Mr. Pabbie staring at her so deeply his gaze seemed to pierce into her entire soul. Elsa got up and walked over to his desk, flushing as heads turned her way for a brief heartbeat. "Sir?"

"Your writing is… it's fabulous, Miss Wynters," Mr. Pabbie said, and Elsa flushed at the compliment. "I would like you to work with Jack Frost on the play." Ice evaded Elsa's insides, and she stared at Mr. Pabbie in disbelief.

"Mr. Pabbie, t-that's impossible," she stuttered.

He quirked an eyebrow. "I know you're shy and don't have much experience with Mr. Frost. You probably don't even know—"

"—actually, I just hat—don't like him," Elsa said.

Mr. Pabbie narrowed his eyes. "I'm not asking you two to become best friends or anything, but I _would_ like you to maintain a healthy relationship with the boy. He's more complicated than people give him credit for—nobody expected that little thing he wrote about the darkness." Elsa scowled. "I know Jack is hard and smirks too much for his own good"—Elsa smiled a little at this because a teacher had noticed this as well—"but this'll be good for you to break out of your shell."

Elsa shook her head. "I can't," she whispered.

"I understand that you're grieving, and that this is as good a way to deal with it as any," Mr. Pabbie said not without kindness, "but I want you to draw Jack in line. He is hostile to his 'enemies,' and you two would make a good combination, I reckon." Elsa scowled, perturbed by the thought. "You—you're innocent, and he won't corrupt you. But we teachers have been working on him. He refuses to step into line."

Elsa muttered, "Tell me about it."

"But his writing is really something else," Mr. Pabbie said fiercely. "Elsa, I'm not asking you simply as your teacher but as a mentor and friend."

Oh. No. He. _Didn't._

Did he just pull the _friend_ card? Not that Elsa would consider herself a friend of Mr. Pabbie (it was kind of weird, after all), but she didn't expect that he would do that (what was this? Day 2? 3?) to her. Elsa closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't just—I'll try my best," she grumbled through seethed teeth, making it clear to her teacher that she was _not_ happy with this.

"Excellent," Mr. Pabbie said. "You can start right now."

Elsa's eyes widened. "N-now?"

"What's wrong with now?"

Elsa pressed her lips together tightly and said in an equally tight voice, "Alright." She turned to Jack, who was sitting in his seat. The light caught in his hair, making it more silvery than usual. She grimaced. He caught her gaze and quirked an eyebrow. Elsa sighed and walked over to him. "Mr. Pabbie wants to talk to you," she said before hurrying back to her desk.

Jack sauntered over to Mr. Pabbie who hissed instructions in his ear. Jack turned to Elsa, and a strange look crossed his face. Elsa couldn't decide whether it was plain disgust or pure revulsion. Finally, he walked over to her, shoulders slumped. He took a seat by her and grumbled, "I can't believe I have to work with _you."_ He pulled out a notebook as Elsa stared.

Elsa glared. "You have no idea how much I'm contemplating suicide."

Jack's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile crossed his features. "And you have no idea how much _I'm_ anticipating my next boring class." Then, he sighed. "I'll give you a brief summary." She glared. Since when was he calling all the shots? "There's a girl who's alone. She's surrounded by people but she feels alone. Just extend from there and leave me be."

"Jack..?" Elsa said slowly. "Is that how _you_ feel?"

He laughed. "I'm not a girl."

"No, idiot. The lonely thing."

He stared at her, and for the first time, he wasn't glaring or anything. He was just… _watching._ Elsa stared back, contemplating Mr. Pabbie's earlier words. Then, Jack's cool mask was back, and Elsa decided that whatever vulnerability she saw on his face was an illusion. "You're not very bright, are you now?" he said cockily before turning back to his paper.

Elsa flushed and turned back to her notebook.

Elsa ignored him for the most part and wrote down what she thought was appropriate. She wasn't used to writing plays but decided to write down a little backstory or something. Maybe something someone could narrate: _She was the one no one noticed. She didn't_ not _like it, not exactly, but it got lonely. She could fake a smile, but she hated doing that. She could say she was okay… if anyone asked. And no one did. She felt like no one in the world understood her, and maybe, just maybe, she didn't have a purpose. She was a nobody._

Elsa sighed. Her thoughts were just so depressing—she could tell that they had traveled on to the story.

He glanced at the clock, groaning inwardly to see that only fifteen minutes had passed.

But as the class concluded, Elsa realized very quickly that what Jack had written was exactly what she would've said. She bit her lip and lightly drummed the desk with her fingers. She sighed as another minute passed. Was the class _ever_ going to end? Elsa stared at what she had written and jumped as a hand tapped her shoulder. She looked up, annoyed. _"What?"_

Jack blinked, evidently surprised. "You're not writing."

She glared. "So?"

Jack snorted. "Obviously, you want to flunk this class." He reached over to her paper, snagging the corners. Elsa watched him, alarmed, and he glanced at her once, scoffing softly. "Let's see if you've got what it takes." She glared but settled uncomfortably back in her seat timidly as he began to read it. His frosty eyes flicked over the paper quickly. He grunted a little. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're more into this assignment than you let on."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said icily.

He sighed. "You're not as clueless as you let on, I'll give you that."

She gaped and snatched her paper back. "Ugh, I can't _stand_ you."

He glared at her and stopped writing mid-word. "Can you just _shut up_ for _one freaking minute_ so I can _write?"_

Elsa glared but remained silent. Instead, she bent down over her paper and started doodling. If she wrote another depressing word, she was sure she would _explode._ With a sigh, she glanced at the clock once more… Another minute passed. How utterly depressing. Elsa stared at her paper and sighed as she picked up her pencil. She stared at the paper, bored.

Elsa stole a peek at what Jack was writing, surprised that there was actually a decent amount of writing in it. Elsa shook her head ruefully before turning back to her own paper. Her inspiration just wasn't flowing. Maybe she should just force out the words and see what happened. Taking a deep breath, Elsa raised her pencil over the paper, poised to write:

 _She doesn't know what to do. Every exchanged glance was something different. She always read more into them than she probably should've. First glances were a strange thing. It only takes a sentence for her to figure out what kind of person someone might be. Words can lie. The words can lie, but the eyes can't. She can look into someone's eyes and tell whether there is something more behind them._

 _And then there are the exceptions. She doesn't have a clue sometimes, and that makes her insecure._

 _Fake a smile, it's okay. If you pretend it's going to be okay, it's going to end up being okay, right? Yeah right. That was a lie. But the smile would start to slip sometimes, until it was gone completely. She was always searching_ — _but what was she searching for? Sometimes, she thought that her thoughts were so depressing she should just_ stop thinking.

 _But being along alone left her with a lot of thoughts_ — _a lot of_ depressing _thoughts._

 _She likes knowing things_ — _it makes her feel a little safer. If she knows how someone is, she'll have a better understanding of what to do. But sometimes, she just assumes because it's so much easier to assume than uncover something. Sometimes, it can get so overwhelming, and everything just seems like too much. She then realizes that she doesn't take the time to breathe in the day_ — _figuratively, of course._

 _Was smiling and pretending so much easier? Well, maybe. But then, what happens when it gets so bad that you can't even_ pretend _everything's okay._

"You started writing."

Elsa looked up, more surprised than anything. "Uh…"

Jack sighed. "You're not the loose cracker everyone thinks you are." Elsa looked at him strangely, and Jack grunted, as if it was a pain talking to her when she was acting like this. Elsa scowled at him. Why did he think he was so much better than she was? "Try to understand, but at the end of the day, you and I aren't so different. I mean, sure I'm more handsome and a lot smarter, but—"

"Get to the point—I'm sick of listening to you."

Jack glared. "What I'm trying to say is that at the end of the day, everyone's tired and thinking about what they did in the day. You're tired—there's not much more than that. I don't want you to hate me—not that I'm looking forward to becoming BFFs or anything—but I've never failed a class in my life"—she raised an eyebrow at that—"and I'm not going to fail this one just because you're letting a stupid verdict about me get in the way of actually working."

Elsa scoffed. "Thanks for the in-depth speech and everything, but I just don't understand _you."_

"And that makes you insecure?"

Elsa turned red and felt her blood boil. "You were _reading_ what I wrote?" He shrugged in a sarcastic way, and Elsa seethed her teeth. "You're not the bitch everyone thinks you are, but I don't have to care. I'm not failing this class, either." He sighed, in a sort of relieved way, and Elsa glared. "Just stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Once this play is done and dusted with—"

"—we can go back to ignoring each other," Jack finished.

"Exactly," Elsa said. "And I hope that's _soon."_

"Why do you hate me so much?" Jack asked, frowning. "Nobody's ever really hated me, but you really take to it, don't you?"

Elsa glared. "Why _shouldn't_ I hate you?"

Jack fell silent. Then, he bent over his paper and scrawled down some more words. Elsa felt a little bad at her little outburst, but she was having a horrible day, and she honestly didn't want to be nice—especially to Jack. She was sure that deep, deep, deep, _deep_ down—yes, she just used four _deeps_ —that he was an okay person (bleh, that sounded awkward), but she honestly didn't want to get to know him.

An awkward silence settled between them, but Elsa worked on her paper, ignoring it. As the bell rang, she got up. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned wearily. Jack had his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Since both of us agree that we want to get this project over with, we should work on it outside of class—then, we can get it done with. Library."

Elsa contemplated his idea. "Alright."

She walked towards the door and heard him call her. "By the way, Wynters… I don't hate you—well, maybe—but I think you're the most annoying creature I've ever encountered."

She didn't answer. He knew better to expect one.

Elsa quickly headed over to room 52. Rapunzel caught up with her and tapped her arm. Elsa turned and nodded at the girl. "You okay?" Rapunzel said, a look of concern crossing her delicate features. Elsa nodded numbly. "You just seem so AWOL today," Rapunzel said. Elsa shrugged in a quiet distant manner that she hoped conveyed that she didn't want to talk. Rapunzel nodded. "Okay…" she said kind of awkwardly.

They headed to Mr. O'laf's class in silence. The atmosphere was awkward. Elsa sat quietly through the class, doing her word and listening. The rest of Elsa's classes seem strangely boring, and Elsa spent most of the hours in class just working on some homework or something. It almost seemed like a college, where the teachers didn't really care or anything.

Elsa was relieved when her last class was done and dusted with—until she remembered she had to go meet Jack at the library.

Elsa groaned inwardly and headed to her room first. As much as she wanted to finish the stupid project, she wanted to close her eyes for five minutes first. She still hadn't really adapted much to the sleeping schedule yet and wanted to just rest. She groaned as she laid down on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, feeling incredibly restless. She closed her eyes, but her thoughts wouldn't shut up.

Seriously. Why couldn't someone invent an 'off' button for thoughts?

Elsa got up and rubbed her eyes, trying to shake her exhaustion off. Then, she picked up her tote bag. She trudged to the library very slowly, trying to ignore the fact that her brain—and every part of her body, really—was screaming at her to run back to her room and _get some sleep._ The offer was so tempting that Elsa stopped several times in the hall, contemplating her choices.

But Elsa knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep even when she was in her room—her mind was far too restless.

She arrived at the library and opened the door. To her surprise, she already found Jack in there. There were a few people scattered around in the library, but besides that, it was almost devoid of people—besides the ancient librarian, but who was counting him? Jack's head was bent over his paper, and he was tapping the pencil impatiently against the paper as if he didn't know what to write.

She headed over. "God, you wrote a lot."

He sighed. "I don't understand how someone can make that sound like an insult."

"It wasn't meant to be," Elsa snapped. "It came naturally to me. Besides, I'm exhausted, so I won't be much help."

Jack sighed. "Well, the storyline is very simple." He droned on and on about a character who sounded suspiciously close to Elsa, but she was too tired to argue anymore. She was past her anger and was left with exhaustion. She wondered if Jack noticed but kept her mouth shut because hey, he wasn't bothering her much like this. Then, after a billion years, he said, "Elsa."

Her head jerked up in surprise. _"What?"_

A smile curled on his lips, slightly rueful but no bitterness in it. It was surprising genuine for once (!), and she was surprised that he wasn't mocking her. Okay, maybe she should be exhausted more if she knew this would happen. "Are you tired?" he asked her, his pencil still on the paper. She shrugged, wincing at the stiffness of her shoulders, and he closed his eyes, sighing a little.

"Curfew's almost here—why can't I just go to sleep?" Elsa complained.

Jack contemplated her words. "No."

She glared. He just all the points he earned for not bothering her earlier. "Why not?" she demanded, all for pitching a fit.

"You'll feel bad in the morning, so a few more minutes isn't going to do anything to you," Jack said with a shrug. Elsa glared. "What? I've been there, done that. The extra sleep isn't going to do you any good. And if you're so exhausted, then why haven't you fallen asleep yet? Trust me, your mind is buzzing—pretty sure, anyway—and you won't do yourself any help. These days _are_ long."

Elsa glared, but her anger drained away. "I'm just tired, okay? These days are impossibly long."

He gaped at her. "This isn't possible! Did you just _agree_ with me?" She rolled her eyes and shoved him. "Quit it, I'm savoring the moment—I don't know if this'll _ever_ happen again! You'd _never_ agree with me on your own accord!" he said dramatically.

She rolled her eyes. "Drama queen."

He shot her a lopsided grin. "You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you, Snow Queen?"

She stuck her tongue out at him before resting her head on her arms and glancing at him sideways. He watched her for a steady moment before turning back to his paper with a shrug. He began writing, and Elsa closed her eyes for a brief moment. Jack was actually… _nice_ to her. Well, maybe nice was too strong a word, but still. She smirked to herself. She would _definitely_ make sure to be _exhausted_ every time she saw him.

Hey, if it made him a better—

"—why are you smirking?"

Crap. "What're you talking about?" she said lamely.

Jack sighed. "Why am I the only one working?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you dragged me here in the dead of the night to work on a stupid project?"

"I didn't drag you—you dragged yourself," he corrected.

"Ha ha, very funny," Elsa groaned. "But just let me go. _Please."_

He watched her for a long moment, and Elsa watched him, patiently awaiting his answer. His frosty gaze narrowed, and Elsa could practically _see_ a lightbulb lighting up in his brain. She didn't like the thought of that. "How about..." he said seriously. "If I let you go to sleep, you'll act as the main character." She glared. How dare he? "After all—"

"—shut up, Jack."

Jack sighed dramatically. "Fine. Suffer. See if I care."

Elsa glanced at the clock. Ugh. How had only twenty minutes passed? She still had a good twenty five minutes until curfew? Crap. Double crap. _"Fine,"_ Elsa snapped. "But you have to let me sleep _whenever_ I want."

He glared. "After fifteen minutes of work."

"Five."

His glare deepened. _"Ten._ No less."

"Fine." She sniffed. "It's been twenty minutes. I'm leaving."

"You have to _work_ next time, though!" Jack called after her. "We're supposed to _work together,_ and I thought you said you weren't going to fail!" She ignored him and scooped up her papers, stuffing them roughly into her bag without paying attention. She slung the tote over a shoulder and glanced back at him, surprised that he was still in his seat. He caught her gaze. "Don't be late next time."

"Kill me now," she muttered under her breath as she exited the library. She trudged slowly back to her room and slammed the door shut after her.

But Jack's words were true, and her mind would not shut. _Up._

She sighed. Screw him. It was going to be a _long_ night.

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _Bored._

That's how Jack felt after Elsa left. Sure, she wasn't the _best_ of company (he knew she was tired, and he was, too, but he was slightly disappointed at her lack of effort), but it was nice _having_ her around as inspiration since Jack had basically based his character off of her. It was easier when he could see how she acted, and he figured that there was a lot more to her than what meets the eye.

But Jack figured that if he had any brain cells left, he wouldn't be doing this anyway.

Of course, some would argue that Jack _was_ stupid.

A smile splayed out on his lips as he shoved his papers and pencils and erasers and whatnot into his bag. He slung his pack over his shoulder and headed out of the library—

—and almost crashed into Elsa Wynters.

"Crap," he growled, swearing under his breath. Then, he watched her wearily. "What're you still doing here? I thought you were going to sleep?" Then, a perpetual smirk graced his lips, and he felt a part of him shrink back, offended, at the fact that she looked disgusted. "Unless you just couldn't get enough of Jack Overland?" he said smugly with a puff of his chest.

"Ew, gross," she said, gagging. "And you were right."

He gaped. "Did you just agree with me _again?"_

She rolled her eyes, looking disgusted once more. "I couldn't sleep. So why not work?" She glanced at the clock. "We have, like, what?" She glanced briefly at the clock. Twenty minutes?" She shrugged and walked back into the library. Jack groaned. He was tired and wanted his bed—but at the same time, he _did_ want to get the project over with.

He trudged towards her and sat down by her, slowly pulling out his papers. "Why the change of heart?" he mumbled.

She shrugged lightly. "Didn't I just tell you I couldn't sleep?" He grumbled something under his breath that sounded like, _"Sleep-Preventing-Sadist,"_ and her perpetual glare graced her lips once more. He sniffed delicately, and she huffed, disgust coiling in her eyes. He glared and watched as she tucked out a sheet of paper that was a smooth alabaster with neat writing covering a decent amount of space on the ivory paper.

The air was awkward.

He watched her write a little, sigh, scratch out what he had written, sigh again, and repeat the process over again. Her eyes were troubled, and she looked tired. A lazy smile spread across Jack's face, and he yawned. "You know, it _is_ getting a little late. And I'm pretty tired. Let's just call it a day," he said, struggling to keep his eyes open.

She stared at him reproachfully. Then, after a long heartbeat of silence, she snapped, "Well, make up your mind, Overland!"

He raised his hands in peace. "Look, just because I open my mouth doesn't mean you have to go snapping around like an angry gator."

She glared. "Then stop acting like an incredibly shallow-minded jerk."

He pursed his lips. _"Listen,_ Snow Queen"—she scowled at this, but he ignored it; after all, why should _he_ care?—"let's just get through this day—"

"—it's night," she interrupted.

"What're you? Master of Obvious?" he said sarcastically. Her mouth fell open for a second before she closed it, lips pursed in a pissed off sort of way. His scowl deepened, and he ran a hand through his alabaster hair. "You. Are. _Impossible,"_ he snarled, his eyes bugging out slightly. Did this chick personally make it a duty to piss him off? Even when he was trying to be nice? (Which he rarely was to her, but that wasn't the point.)

"Look who's talking," she retorted, gaze narrowed to cat-like slits.

"Elsa. _Shut up."_

A look of outrage laced her delicate features, and she got up, storming out of the library. _Girl's got issues,_ Jack thought darkly as he pulled a paper and pen out of his pocket. He wrote his name about five hundred times on the paper in various ways, trying to mimic the types of fonts he had seen on articles and whatnot. He was doing a rough attempt at Cheri Liney when someone thundered in next to him.

Well, maybe not _thundered,_ but yeah.

"What're you doing here?" Jack asked, glancing up at Elsa.

She looked flushed and slightly embarrassed. "I, uh, kind of left my bag here."

He glanced at her snowflake-print tote bag on the seat next to him, and he chuckled. "So you _do_ have flaws."

She shot him a weird look and picked up the bag. Then, her gaze drifted to the sheet of paper in front of him, where he had written his name in all kinds of fonts. She pursed her lips tightly, as if she was trying not to laugh. She managed not to smirk, but delight shone out of her eyes like a beacon. "God, I knew you were full of yourself—but I didn't think you were _this_ self-conceited."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "But you would know about being self-conceited, wouldn't you?"

Her mouth fell open in fury. "How dare you accuse me of being self-conceited?!" she exclaimed.

 **(Oh lord, I nearly made them start a Hannah Montana mimic fight just then. xDDD)**

Elsa mimed pulling a book out of her tote. "Oh look: nominations for most self-conceited just came in! Oh, look at that: you already won! _Congratulations!_ " **(Guess where that reference came from?)** Sarcasm dripped off her voice, and her witty comment would be very funny—if it wasn't aimed at Jack. Instead, he scowled and stuck his tongue out at her.

 _"Thanks,"_ he said, sarcasm dripping. He waved her off. "Just _go._ It's almost curfew, and we _all_ know you just can't _stand to get in trouble!"_

She scowled and took her seat by him. "I can stay here all I want!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"OH YEAH?!"

"YEAH!"

"You two!" the ancient librarian shrieked. " _Out_ of my library!" Jack couldn't take the librarian seriously—I mean, have you _see_ him? The librarian had white hair everywhere _except_ on his head, and his face was a mass of wrinkles and sagging skin. Jack was sure one of these days, when he walked in the library, he would find the librarian dead. He looked as if he'd been at the academy for _forever._

He was this shriveled up thing, and Jack did not snicker—merely out of the shock that the librarian said something, much less yelled.

Elsa blushed furiously, grabbed her tote, and stalked out. Jack rolled his eyes and slung his pack over a shoulder. Then, he sauntered out, letting his confident air do all the talking. He heard the librarian mutter to himself, and Jack snickered, which was accompanied by an exaggerated eye-roll. "Ancient thing should drop dead," Jack snickered.

"That's not very nice."

Jack face-palmed. "Come _on. You're_ still here?"

Elsa was standing a few feet away from him, arms crossed. "I just came out, idiot. And you can't blame the librarian."

"I'm not known for being nice," Jack snorted. "If I was, I would go work at a greeting card company."

Elsa glared daggers at him. "You are an incompetent piece of—"

"We have a truce," Jack interrupted loudly.

Elsa sighed. "You know, does this truce—albeit shaky one—have to end..?"

Jack smirked. "You'd miss arguing with me too much."

She scoffed. "Right. Because _I'm_ the only reason for that. It's not like you provoke me _at all."_

Jack forced a glare off his face. "Alright, here's how things are going to work. We're going to act like mere acquaintances—nothing more, nothing less. We're _not_ friends, we're _not_ enemies, and we're going to try to hate each other a little less." He scoffed. "God, Snow Quee"—he caught her sharp look and changed tactics—"I mean, Elsa, aren't you supposed to be more reasonable than this?"

She huffed. "I wonder who rubbed off on me," she said sarcastically. Jack frowned slightly. Elsa was usually so quiet—and then she did something like this. Then, she groaned. "This truce is _never_ going to last. We just keep arguing."

He shrugged. "Well, you could just agree with me."

She raised an eyebrow. " _Or_ you could agree with _me._ Let's face facts: which one of us is more right?"

He smirked. "Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

She smirked back. "Too afraid to handle the truth?"

Being the most cherished person at the academy had its perks. You could charm yourself out of pretty much anything, you're involved with important decision making (AKA who gets to sit at your table, who you talk to, etc.), and you were respected/envied/admired from pretty much everyone. _But_ there were some things that just weren't acceptable.

"I mean, we _all_ know you wake up at three in the morning to get your hair done and all, but—"

Murder being one of those things.

 _"Truce,"_ Jack forced through gritted, unwilling, clenched teeth. Expulsion from murder almost seemed worth it.

She glared. "Stop that."

"What?" he demanded.

"Insulting me with your eyes," she answered, matter-of-fact.

 _She has a point._

 _Shut up, self-conscience,_ Jack fumed.

"I'm _not,"_ Jack lied. "I'm just sleepy and cranky."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, alright."

 _You're not a very good liar, are you, Jack?_

"Would you just _shut_ _up?_ I'm really tired of listening to—" Jack stopped short.

Elsa stared at him like he had grown another head. "Who were you talking to..?" She sounded torn between laughing and frowning.

 _"Not the voice inside my head!"_

She actually had the nerve to _smile_ at— _truce, Jack, truce,_ Jack reminded himself.

"You have a voice inside your _head?"_ Elsa sounded amused instead of bitter at him for once.

He scoffed. "No, of course not. That's just weird." They started walking... to who knows where. Whatever. He was just going to follow her. He would look like _such_ an idiot if she thought that he didn't know where they were going. _Oh, you didn't need help looking like an idiot._ "Shut _up!"_ Jack roared, and Elsa kind of backed away, slightly creeped out.

"I didn't... say anything," she said.

Jack bit his lip. "Not you," he muttered, and they started walking again.

After a little while, Elsa stopped and stared at him. Jack shot her a confused look as he stopped. _"What?"_ he said.

"Um... where are we?" she said.

"I thought you knew where we were going!"

"No," she said slowly. "I was following _you!"_

"No, I was following _you!"_ **(God, all their fights make me want to make them have a mimic fight!)  
**

"Are we... _lost?"_ she said, looking freaked out.

"No," Jack said, sounding more confident than he felt. "I know _exactly_ where we are."

She crossed her arms. "Fine. Then where _are_ we?"

"We are... in Rosethorn academy... in a hall..." Jack said lamely.

 _You have no idea where you are._

 _"Shut up! No one asked for your_ —and I'm talking aloud again, aren't I?"

Elsa looked weirded out. "I'm just going to pretend that never happened."

"Me, too," Jack mumbled.

After a few more minutes of wandering and silently freaking out, Elsa said, "Face it, Jack! We're lost! Oh my God, oh my God..."

"Stop freaking out," Jack muttered. "I'm not going to freak out just because you are."

"Wow," she said, scoffing slightly. "Even in a moment of danger, you're still impossible."

"We're not in danger," Jack muttered. "Unless you count suspension and possible expulsion for wandering around past curfew something dangerous." She scoffed a little, and Jack snorted. "Just calm down." Jack examined the hall. "Wait... I know this place. This is the detention room." Jack smirked. "I'm good friends with this room."

Elsa scoffed. "Fine. So how we get back to our dorms?"

"I don't know—maybe you could read the map right there!"

"There's no—oh."

After a few minutes of staring at the map, the two exchanged a glance. Jack sighed. "Alright. You go that way, and I go this way."

She sighed a little. "If I get expelled, I'm going to kill you."

Jack snorted. "I don't think you could. You'd be too chicken."

Elsa crossed her arms. "And to think I was thinking about thanking you!"

He stared at her, shocked. "Wait— _what?"_

"But you just _had_ to open your mouth and ruin things!"

 _Wait_ —she was going to _thank_ _him?!_ The prospect was so past his real world view that he couldn't believe it.

She must've noticed _completely_ and _utterly_ shocked expression because she kind of balked before hastily backtracking into a frown. She looked confused now. Jack shook his head in disbelief. "I just don't understand you, sometimes," he said. She looked so offended that he hastily added, "Not in a bad way... but... you know..."

She met his gaze coolly. "Yeah, okay." Then, she paused, almost nervous. "Thanks," she said a little stiffly, but she seemed genuinely enough. Then, she took his hand and shook it. He glanced at their equally pale intertwined fingers for a heartbeat, flabbergasted. Then, he laughed a little, and she dropped his hand, blushing a little. "What?"

"That's all I get?" he teased slightly mockingly (you know what they say: old habits die hard).

She rolled her eyes. "That's all you're gonna get." Then, she turned and walked off.

He glanced at his hand. Then, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away in the opposite direction.

And suddenly, the night seemed slightly brighter. Jack told himself that it was just because he didn't have to waste good witty remarks on Elsa, but he knew that wasn't the reason. Maybe it was because no one had really ever thanked Jack in that sort of way? Because with his friends it was always jokingly. Jack balked silently. Was Elsa the first person to really thank him like that?

He glanced back. She was long gone. "Your welcome," he whispered though he knew she couldn't hear him.

A part of him grew considerably lighter...

...and Jack walked away.

* * *

 **QotD: Who sometimes hates alarm clocks?**

 **#OhI'mAtTheTopOfThatList**

* * *

 **A/N: Review your answer to the QotD! God, I have ZERO inspiration for this story now. I had, like, a fourth of it written down but suffered from a MAJOR writers' block from this story. I'm not sure if I still ship Jelsa anymore. I know I haven't updated in, like, a billion years, but I _do_ have an outline for this story. I know what's going to play out for the next chapters, so I don't know why this took so long.**

 **I didn't think I was going to continue this, but I pushed myself to wrap up this chapter even though it probably sucks and is very depressing because whenever I write something I have zero inspiration for it turns out depressing or sucky. I'm going to _try_ for this story. Like, _really_ try. I'm going to try for at least one chapter a month (hey, give me a break, they're 10,000 words each plus I have other stories and something called _life_ going on).**

 **Thanks for everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited! Reviews are the best motivation** **—especially since I have almost _zero_ inspiration. I appreciate the support even though I have a sucky excuse for a story. But I've been listening to the best motivation—Hannah Montana songs. You heard me: HM songs. I never really grew up with HM, but now, it's like my favorite thing EVER. Seriously. I write Niley fanfiction. Don't know if people still ship them, but that's okay.**

 **Anyway, I'm trying to shove Elsa back into her 'shy girl' corner because I'm apparently failing in that. So that's why I'm making her more distant and stuff. But the reason she's always she different is because of what is inspiring me. Sometimes, I base her off of my friends and stuff, so… yeah. Now I gotta shove her back into the storyline I planned for her. I know right, totally unrealistic. But hey, this _is_ fanfiction, so I can shamelessly write whatever I want.**

 **Gotta love those songs from Miley Cyrus! #MyHeartBeatsForLove #TwoMoreLonelyPeople**

 **I know what you're probably thinking of you're like _some_ people I know: _Miley Cyrus has actual songs with deep titles?!_ Yeah well, where have you been for the last... umm… few years? Well, I don't know. The songs are old… but I love em anyway. But seriously. Whenever I have zero inspiration for writing, I'm going to be jamming on to some HM or MC songs like that. BEST. MOTIVATION. EVER.**

 **Well, kind of. It makes me also wanna watch some HM. I was literally hooked at the first five minutes. Give that show a shot if you haven't (probably on Dailymotion), and I promise you won't regret it. But seriously. The songs are AMAZING, and the show is even BETTER. And I know: I was one of those skeptical people, too, who didn't really like HM. Yet here we are now!  
**

 **And I keep rewatching and rewatching the shoe fight scene from HM: The Movie. xDDD**

 **And I know I totally wrote, like, the last half hour of the day (Jack's POV) in, like, 2000 or so words. How incredibly sucky. Told you I had zero inspiration. I kind of hated how I ended this chapter. "Kind of?" Yeah, no, I definitely hated it. By the way, I think writing Jelsa fighting scenes is pretty funny...  
**

 **Also, why is this A/N so long..?**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darky**


	4. Just Stay Away

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers and stuff 'cause I'm too lazy to search stuff up.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Just Stay Away**

* * *

 **"Who owns my heart? Is it love, or is it art?" ~Excerpt from _Who Owns My Heart,_ Miley Cyrus**

* * *

 **A/N: GUESS WHO HASN'T DIED YET? Did you guess me? Well, you are WRONG. I'm joking. I think.  
**

 **I know. I _planned_ to update sooner, but things just didn't go as planned. I legit just wrote this whole thing in a matter of hours spread over the span of two days because... well, I don't know. Because I _wanted_ to? I guess. But I have an excuse! A legitimate excuse this time! I had another story! It's called _Still In Love Somehow_ (SILS), and I'm actually done with that story.**

 **So good news! I can give _this_ story all my time! Until I finish it, that is. I don't think I'll ever write another Jelsa story ever again that isn't a one-shot or something. But you never know. But just saying... It's _highly_ unlikely that I would ever do that... I mean... look how _this_ one turned out. It takes _forever_ for me to update. I've considered deleting this story, you know?  
**

 **Of course, I always have it saved in the back of my computer... somewhere.**

 **I was listening to _Send It On_ by Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez while writing this, so go check that video out (somewhere) on YT and go give it a big like because without it, this chapter wouldn't be here today! Also, the quote for this chapter is completely irrelevant, I think, so just bear with me (I don't know _what_ I was thinking when I put that down).  
**

 **Well... I _suppose_ it can _somewhat_ work. Art could be, like, work for Elsa or something. So, in Rosethorn Academy, is her life set on work? Or love (like, for her sister or parents or family or something)? So I guess _that_ can work. Let's just go with that. Besides, I love that song, so I don't really feel like changing it. Also, I'm pretty sure the chapter title is out of whack to, but what the heck?  
**

* * *

Things… surprising… didn't _suck._

School seemed more and more like a duty each day. It actually… how should Elsa put these in words? It seemed _better._ She had no idea why… or maybe she did. Maybe it was because she was getting used to the schedule now. Elsa still hated her alarm clock with a passion and still despised the ridiculously long classes, but… it was _better._

Elsa was getting good grades, and despite how long the classes were, they didn't get much homework. It was mostly just a lot of classwork and a few projects that the teachers gave her weeks to do. Elsa still stayed in the library most of the time, and even Anna, who usually visited her there, stopped. Elsa's sister seemed to think that Elsa wanted time alone.

Truth be told, Elsa didn't mind it.

It wasn't to say that Elsa necessarily _liked_ being alone… Rather, she liked the prospect of being self-dependent. Plus, she didn't have to fake a smile all the time. She kind of liked herself being kind of a "lone-wolf." She was still firm friends with Rapunzel, who still demanded to know about anything and everything about Elsa, but not so much the others.

But that was okay, because Elsa wasn't sure she even knew them all that well anyway.

Call her arrogant if it makes you feel better, but Elsa thought very highly of herself… Well, in the academic sense. Smarts and stuff. She got straight A's, something Rapunzel had been struggling with, and she never missed a day, something Anna had done several times. Elsa took the academy seriously, but honestly, she felt like it wasn't all that different from the other schools she had been to.

When the library was too loud or too full (which it almost never was), Elsa would go to the music room. No one really went there—not during lunch, anyway—and Elsa liked practicing her piano skills. But sometimes, she would just do that because she wanted to. Music turned out to be a very important factor in Elsa's life, and she found herself listening to it outside of class and humming to herself in class.

Elsa was relatively quiet and didn't draw attention to herself unless she absolutely _had_ to, and that was… um… probably almost never.

Rapunzel was vibrant and outgoing, and Elsa was glad to have the girl in some of her classes. Rapunzel was probably one of the most noticeable people in the academy. Well… _everyone_ seemed to have certain aspects (and otherworldly beauty that seemed slightly prelude to the universe) that defined them more. But Rapunzel was easy: long golden hair, light green eyes, pretty complexion, straight teeth that made for a beautiful smile.

Yeah, Rapunzel was definitely one to be noticed.

And Rapunzel would shamelessly soak up the attention. Rapunzel had once told Elsa: _"Hey, if they're going to watch, I might as well make the most of it, right?"_ Rapunzel's bubbly personality and natural charisma drew a lot of people to her, and sometimes, Elsa would wonder how Rapunzel wasn't like one of those stuck-up royal idiots around here.

Cough, cough, Jackson Overland, cough, cough.

Well, truth be told, Jack wasn't _that_ much of an idiot. He was pretty smart actually—he just acted like one of those brain-less populars sometimes—and yes, the thought complimenting him (grudgingly) was disgusting in her brain, which was probably vomiting right about now. But Jack was still the same stuck-up jerk of the century, so there was that.

Of course, if Elsa had to be _completely_ honest, she would say that he wasn't as bad as he had been. She was surprised when she had entered the lunch room (to greet Rapunzel and Anna and to immediately make her excuse to leave) that Jack had actually looked in her direction and gave her a sharp nod. Then, he turned back to joking with his buddies.

If Elsa had to be completely honest, she would've said he actually looked _serious._

But Elsa quickly wrote that off because who would expect sarcastic, arrogant, shameless Jackson Overland to be _serious?_ Elsa told herself that she made that up in her head, and it didn't mean anything. After all, Jack _had_ winked after that, and Elsa heard a dozen voices exclaim in the air over who he had winked at. He hadn't really winked at _anyone_ in particular, Elsa was sure, and he was probably just soaking up the attention shamelessly.

Elsa had gotten so disgusted after that that she had left the room without greeting Rapunzel or Anna.

Jack was so freaking _arrogant,_ and he held his head high like he was a creation of God or God's son or something—which was actually… well, it was _viable…_ Well, Jack had nice hair… and he could be smart—if he wanted to… And yeah… his eyes were the perfect shade of frost. His name sounded nice, too: _Jackson Overland._ It rolled off the tongue…

But besides that he had nothing going for him!

Okay, maybe that list of reasons was… pretty _long._

But although the classes could be challenging at times, Elsa found herself enjoying them and making the best of her time. Yes, she was still the quiet shy one who sat at the back of the room, but at least the teachers were nice enough to not complain about it or call on her. Elsa focused herself more on her studies. They weren't that complicated, but the teachers sure did push her.

But that was fine. Elsa got used to it.

Elsa was currently in bed right now. She had grown accustomed to waking up before her alarm clock rang—the alarm clock would _fully_ wake her up. She turned towards the clock and shut off the alarm clock. She forced herself out of bed, knowing fully well that if she allowed herself to snuggle back in bed, she would fall asleep for sure—and that was something she _couldn't_ allow.

Elsa quickly changed into her academy uniform and let her hair fall in graceful paler than platinum curls down her back. She strode over to the balcony and leaned towards the edge, feeling a rush in her palms. A breeze—unseasonably warm—played with her hair as she leaned out, but the adrenaline rush was enough for Elsa to let go of common sense for a while.

"I will not plunge to my death."

Elsa turned, bewildered, to see Rapunzel hanging down from the balcony above. Elsa's eyes widened, and her frown deepened as she realized the problem: some of Rapunzel's hair was tangled. Rapunzel frantically tried to tug it. "Rapunzel, be careful!" Elsa warned, and determination slid into Rapunzel's light jade eyes. She tugged, harder this time, and screamed.

"Elsa, _help_ me!"

Uh. Elsa's mind went blank. "What am I _supposed_ to do?"

"I don't know!" Elsa couldn't see Rapunzel's face, but her friend sounded decidedly freaked out. _"Anything!"_

Rapunzel sounded uncharacteristically freaked out—which started to freak Elsa out. But Elsa forced herself to calm down and stepped on the ledge of the balcony. Elsa touched the stone walls, gripping for some sort of crevice. She found one. "I will not plunge to my death," Elsa muttered, repeating what Rapunzel had said earlier. Elsa gasped as fear plunged down her spine. She was too scared to move.

Rapunzel tilted her head towards her. "Reach for the balcony's ledge," Rapunzel said through gritted teeth. Elsa complied with a nod. Then, she reached out with one hand towards the ledge. After she got a good grasp on it, she jumped, gasping as she landed. "Grab my hair," Rapunzel instructed. Elsa gripped Rapunzel's hair. It felt weird and yet strong under her fingers. It didn't feel like a proper rope.

"Where's the knot?"

As soon as the words left Elsa's mouth, she saw the ginormous knot. She groaned. She turned towards Rapunzel. "How did this _happen?"_

"I don't know!" Rapunzel huffed.

Elsa edged towards it and hoisted herself on the balcony. She started to untie it. But the knot seemed to extend to several more, and it seemed impossible.

"I'm going to help you—but if I'm late for class, I'm going to kill you."

Rapunzel bit her lip. "What's taking so long?"

"I don't know," Elsa muttered. "Maybe your hair's too long?"

Rapunzel sighed. "Ugh, you know, I bet we're both going to end up being late for class—we'd better just skip breakfast or something. You know how long it takes to wash and comb my hair? And dry it? I have to _stay still_ for a few hours—and you know how impossible that is." Elsa smothered giggles, and Rapunzel tugged at her hair. "Sometimes, I just wish I could just cut it all off."

Elsa shrugged. "That _would_ be a relief… Isn't it awfully heavy?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "It's just the _worst._ But it… I don't know." Rapunzel twisted a strand of her long hair between her fingers. "It makes me special, I guess."

Elsa frowned. "Rapunzel, you don't need excessively long hair to be _special._ You're already special."

"But you're my friend, so you're biased and _supposed_ to say that—it's a friend thing," Rapunzel countered. "It's been my companion since forever, though."

Elsa shrugged. "Maybe it's time for a change, Rapunzel. It's just hair, right? And excessive hair is _never_ really a good idea." Rapunzel tilted her head to the side thoughtfully as Elsa fingered through Rapunzel's hair. Elsa groaned. "Rapunzel, just promise me the next time you want to visit—go through the _door._ We don't want another accident."

Rapunzel blushed. "No shit, Sherlock. And why're you always in the library? I know you're shy and quiet and all, but don't you wanna live a little?"

Elsa smiled a little. "I want to _keep_ my brain cells, thank you very much," she teased.

Rapunzel shrugged. "I guess. But what happens in high school… I guess what's in high school stays in high school. You have it right about studying and stuff, though. I don't have much of an attention span—let me finish—when it comes to that." Elsa giggled. She could recall Rapunzel being completely alert and attentive to a romance movie. Rapunzel had literally threatened anyone who tried to distract her.

Elsa shrugged. "But this is a good academy, right?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "I guess you could say that—it's a hell of a lot better than the crap ones regular people go to. Did you know you can flunk out of this?"

Elsa put on a sarcastic smile. "You don't say…"

"I know, right! Wait—are you being sarcastic?"

"Maybe," Elsa murmured as she got past a particularly tricky knot. She had forgotten how it felt to actually _talk_ to someone. Elsa hadn't been doing much of that in while, and well… it felt like of _nice._ To talk to someone who was around her age, not just another teacher who just went through the motions. But Elsa supposed they all just went through the motions.

"You know," Rapunzel said, "I just wanna get the f out of high school now."

Elsa smiled. "I guess. The classes are challenging, though."

"Exactly my point!" Rapunzel groaned. "I would never have signed up for this if I knew that! I don't _want_ to work—I'm barely passing as it is!"

Elsa shrugged. "I could tutor you if you want."

That brought a smile to Rapunzel's lips. "You would do that for me? That's so nice… but I think I'm a lost cause for that, to be honest—at least I'm not afraid to admit it, though," Rapunzel said almost defensively. Rapunzel tipped her head. "I seriously suck at the studying thing… I get distracted by the smallest things… even when I _want_ to study."

"When do you _want_ to study?" Elsa teased. "When does _anyone_ want to study?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "I don't know…" She glared at her hair. "Seriously. I feel like chopping it off right here and right now."

Elsa shrugged. "I bet you'll regret it later, though."

Rapunzel sighed. "I know…"

Elsa glared at Rapunzel's hair. "Okay, we're totally skipping breakfast if we're going to get to class on time."

"Tell me about it," Rapunzel groaned. She touched her hair gingerly. "You'll help me braid it all afterward, right?" Elsa groaned inwardly, knowing she didn't want to but couldn't refuse Rapunzel's pitiful pout. Elsa nodded instead, and Rapunzel flashed her a brilliant smile. Elsa smiled at that, and Rapunzel began to untangle the long hair with Elsa. "Thanks, you're a _lifesaver,"_ Rapunzel declared.

Elsa smiled. "Hey, that's just what friends do, right?"

"Totally!" Rapunzel agreed cheerfully. "And will you look at that! The knot's almost freed!"

"Yeah, the _smaller_ knot," Elsa agreed absentmindedly. She pointed at the larger knot. "You can't read it in isolation. Each knot seems to lead to a bigger knot, and the end… well, it's that one." A look of despair crossed Rapunzel's pretty face, and her jade eyes crumbled in despondence. Elsa rubbed her friend's arm. "Come on. If we work together, we'll get it done—eventually."

"Eventually," Rapunzel moaned.

"I thought you didn't like school," Elsa mused.

"Oh, I _don't,"_ Rapunzel groaned. "But I had this huge prank planned out for Ariel—you know how she's singing that duet with Flynn."

"Oooh, you into some revenge?" Elsa teased.

"Shut up," Rapunzel said, shoving her arm a little. "Let's just untangle my hair and get this over with."

Elsa bowed her head. "As you wish, master."

 **Behind Her Smile**

Surprisingly, Elsa made it to her face class on time.

Surprisingly, she wasn't even the last one to arrive.

Her first class was history, and Elsa thoroughly enjoyed the class. Mr. Sandstone gave everyone a worksheet to do, and Elsa swept through it easily. A shadow crossed over her paper, and Elsa made a face. She looked up, half-surprised, half-exasperated to see Jack. After the morning twisting out the various knots in Rapunzel's hair, Elsa was quite surprised she had kept her patience and hadn't socked Jack in the face. "What?" she mumbled.

"Are you done? With the worksheet."

"Yes. Why? Do you need help or something?" Elsa pursed her lips, trying to keep as much bitterness as she could out of her voice.

"Wow, who pissed you off?" Jack casually took a seat by her. "I was wondering if we could work on that stupid project."

Elsa made a face. They could get it done faster with this, right? "Sure, I guess," Elsa said, feeling resigned.

He pulled out a pad of paper and all but shoved it in her face. She shot him an annoyed look but read it. He had written a fairly decent script, Elsa was surprised to see. She looked up at him, gawking. He smirked at her obvious shock though she did her best to hide it. "Did you sleep at _all_ last night?" she hissed. "Honestly…" And how _didn't_ he look the _least_ bit disheveled?

Jack scoffed. "Oh, _you're welcome._ I _didn't_ work on that all night, and I _don't_ feel tired, thanks for asking," he said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Elsa sneered. "But seriously… did you sleep _at all?"_

Jack shrugged. "Sure. Here and there. Anyway, I was thinking… about this part. I wasn't sure. Plus, you should be thanking me."

Elsa scoffed. "I thanked you once—that's enough for me."

Jack scoffed and stabbed a finger at one of the lines. _"That_ line. Read it over and tell me what you think," he demanded before picking up a book and reading it. _Unbelievable,_ Elsa thought as she picked up the script. She began to read the line when Jack interrupted, "Are you _done_ yet?" At her fierce expression, he scoffed and turned back to his book. "Guess not," he mumbled sullenly.

Elsa read it:

 _Girl: This is the most you're ever going to see out of me._

 _Guy: Why? Are you scared?_

 _Girl: Of you? Hardly._

 _Guy: But you're scared of something. I'll figure it out._

 _Girl: (scoffs) I'll take my chances. (leaves)_

Elsa looked at Jack, confused. She swore he was a _stalker_ of her thoughts or something. He looked at her impatiently, and Elsa scoffed. "It's alright," Elsa said, shoving the script back to him. He waited and waited, and then, Elsa figured out he wanted more from her than just 'it's alright.' She sighed. "It's really good, actually." His chest swelled with pride, and Elsa regretted her words. "Forget I said that," she huffed.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Told you I was good."

"Yes, you're a genius—can we start working now?"

Jack, surprisingly (!), was _not_ an insufferable idiot who acted like he ruled the world. Elsa discussed many aspects of the play with him, and he seemed open to many of her ideas. They scratched things out and dissected the play, concentrating on every single little detail—or, at least, _Elsa_ was. Sometimes, she _thought_ that he was working, but he would be staring off into space.

Of course, he was a jerk—and wasn't there a saying or something? Old habits die hard?

"Jack. Jack! Are you even _listening?"_

Jack rolled his eyes. "Of course I was," he scoffed, being his perpetually over-confident self. Elsa crossed her arms disbelieving in a _yeah right_ kind of way. Jack sniffed and said, "You were talking about how flat and unspoken one of the side characters are. I believe you were talking about how Girl 4 was completely undeveloped, was it?" Jack huffed a little.

It was fair to say that Elsa's jaw _dropped._

"What?" Jack said a bit uncomfortably. "I _do_ have a pretty good attention span."

"As accustomed to Rapunzel," Elsa murmured under her breath.

Jack's breath hitched. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Elsa said smoothly. "Anyway, it seems like Girl and Boy are the only sarcastic ones—which makes no sense. I think that Girl 4 should have more of a personality. Mostly, she just agrees with everything Girl 3 does—and that's sort of stupid, to be honest." A scowl worked in Jack's jaw, and Elsa was quick to add, "I'm not saying that we have to put a whole mask on her, but…"

"I get it, alright?" Jack snapped. "I just thought a dumb one would be funny."

Elsa frowned. "People don't act like that in real life. That's just in the movies."

Jack scoffed. "You suck the fun out of everything."

"Oh, and you don't?"

Jack sighed. "This is going to be a long day…"

"Tell me about it."

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack could not have been more thrilled when the bell rang—that was, until he remembered he had second period with Elsa 'Snow Queen' Wynters.

His day was just going _so_ well (note the sarcasm).

Jack quickly changed into his P.E. uniform and was lacing his shoes when Mr. North charged in. The teacher blew into his whistle sharply, and everyone quickly formed a line. Mr. North scoffed and thundered, "You lazy children—stand straight and tall. You don't want to be like Mr. Sandstone when you're all old and hunched up." Several people let out a few giggles.

Jack coughed under his breath. "Don't you mean yourself?"

Flynn nudged him in the ribs. "You're mean," he whispered.

"And you're not?" Jack smirked.

Mr. North coughed loudly. "Alright, everyone. Just start running. I don't care what you guys do—just keep running around the track—something to say Miss White? _You_ have to stay after class and continue to run for five minutes more. Alright, get out of my sights!" Mr. North then took a seat and picked up a thick book that _had_ to be more than 2 inches, at least.

Yep, Mr. North sure was badass.

Jack began to run. He was used to running a lot and had a lot of stamina. Jack wasn't running his fastest, but he was still ahead of everyone else. Everyone else was huffing and puffing behind him, and Jack smirked, quickening his pace. Flynn caught up with him, panting for breath. "How—do—you—handle—this—crap?" Flynn managed to gasp out.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. How do you _not?"_

Flynn rolled his eyes. "How aren't you out of breath?"

"Oh please, this is nothing," Jack scoffed. He then quickened his speed once more. The morning air chilled Jack to the bone, but his body welcomed the cold. Jack finished the first lap—which was half a mile—and continued to run. He caught up with the crowd still running (or, rather, jogging while pretending to run their fastest) and passed them easily.

They watched him admiringly, and Jack smirked, waving at them.

Jack continued to run, finishing off another lap. He noticed a slim figure jogging at a so-so speed and immediately knew it was Elsa. He was sure she had kept that speed for the entire run so far. Jack smirked at her, and she scowled. "What?" he called to her, catching up to her. "Can't go any faster?" he teased, enjoying the way her face heated up with embarrassment.

"Unlike _some people_ I know, I'm not trying to kill myself," she retorted.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on. I know you can go faster."

"Creep."

Jack quickened his speed, hoping she'd take the bait. She _did._ She quickened her own pace to match his and shot him a steely glare. "What can I say?" Jack said as he ran. "Born talented," he said with a smirk that made Elsa roll her eyes. He studied her. She was pale—though not paler than usual. Her cheeks were a little flushed, but her blue eyes were still steady. "Not passing out yet?" he asked.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I might not really _enjoy_ running, but I can do this for a _while_ longer, mister."

Jack raised his hands up. "Hey, just teasing. Can't you take a joke?"

"Oh, I _totally_ couldn't tell that was a joke," Elsa said sarcastically. "Thank you _so much_ for pointing that out to me."

Jack smirked. "No problem. Anyway, what's your deal anyway?"

He quickened his pace a little, and Elsa quickened _her_ pace. He wondered if she was even feeling the least bit tired. Elsa sniffed. "Why do you care?"

"Oh, I don't," Jack said, grinning. "Just making small talk. But I have to admit—that idea you put in about the play was pretty cool." Jack quickened his pace, and though Elsa didn't respond, she quickened her speed. He smirked as they finished running another lap. Jack took a deep breath and glanced at her. She looked… _bored._ And maybe a little tired.

She glared. "Why are you staring at me? It's freaking me out."

"I could've been fooled," Jack muttered. Then, he smirked. "Have you realized… that you're running twice as fast as you were?"

Elsa frowned but didn't stop running. Then, she shot him a deathly glare that sent chills down his spine. "Ugh, I hate you so much," she muttered.

"I didn't _make_ you increase your speed," Jack said. "You could've let me go ahead."

"And let you win? Not a chance."

Jack smirked. "Whatever. Tire yourself out." Jack yawned. "I could run all day—hell, I _would_ if I had my way. That is, if I had to do anything at all." Elsa grimaced, and Jack quickened his speed a little. He was quite tall, and his long legs gave him the advantage when it came to running. Elsa shot him a glare—he didn't even _bother_ hiding how much he was increasing his speed anymore—but quickened her pace.

Then, he turned to her. He could _pretend_ to be nice. He had done it to a million people before. He smiled at her, and she glared. Ouch. Why was she so hard to crack? _Probably because she hates you,_ Jack's self-conscience sneered. Jack scowled though it wasn't that hard to believe. Elsa _had_ mentioned that she hated his guts several hundred times.

Okay, he was exaggerating, but she seemed honest.

"You're not bad," he told her. "The way you're determined… What's your motivation?"

She glanced at him and—surprise, surprise—there was no menace in her gaze. Instead, she looked confused—well, at least _that_ was a step up. Jack resisted the urge to smirk. He sure was making progress considering the hatred she held for him. "I don't know," she said, gaze thoughtful. Then, she smirked, and Jack realized why she hated it so much when he smirked. "Maybe I just like beating you." Then, _she_ quickened her speed.

Jack caught up easily and ran at that speed—they were practically sprinting right now. Jack was feeling a _little_ tired—not that he'd ever admit it to her—because though he _had_ ran for a longer time, not usually at such a fast pace. He turned to Elsa, surprised that she still had a determined look on her face. Wow, she _sure_ was determined to outrace him. She was fast, too.

"You're different," he said suddenly, and she turned to him, surprised. "You fight back," he said slowly. "No one else does."

Elsa shrugged. "I don't really see it much as _fighting back."_

"Why do you even try?"

"I don't like getting pushed around," Elsa said with a shrug. "This academy… no one knows who I am. It's almost like a chance to start over—only, not exactly the same because I _have_ memories of everything else before this." Elsa shrugged and retreated back to her perpetual silence for a minute. Then, she said, "People make assumptions a lot."

He waited for her to continue, to elaborate, but she said nothing.

Class was over soon, and Jack was feeling pretty tired—not that he'd ever admit it. As he walked to his next class, he caught Elsa's eye. Her gaze was ever unreadable, but at least she didn't scowl. Maybe she was thinking about what he had said to her—or maybe she was thinking about something altogether. It didn't really make a difference to Jack.

Elsa was a good enemy—she actually fought back—so, in a contradictory way, she might make a good friend.

Lunch approached, and Jack sauntered over to his usual table. Everyone was already there. Jack high-fived Naveen and gave Flynn a one armed bro-hug. Jack took a ginormous bite of his sandwich and turned to Rapunzel's table. Unsurprisingly, Elsa wasn't there. Jack nodded at Rapunzel, who smiled back. Jack turned to Flynn and smirked. "Is she _still_ avoiding you?"

Flynn sighed. "Rapunzel's Rapunzel. I'm only doing a freaking duet—she's acting like I cheated on her with some skank or something."

Charm scoffed. "Why try to understand women?"

"You wait until you find 'the one,'" Naveen said, smirking.

Charm rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I don't believe in that crap."

Jack sniffed. "You never know—you never know who will surprise you. It could come from the most unexpected places, you know?" Jack took another bite of his sandwich and opened his coke can, taking a careful sip. He opened his bag of cookies and took one. Chocolate chip. _Delicious._ Jack got up, and everyone turned to him, surprised. "Gotta go, dorks," he told them.

Flynn smirked. "Sick of us already?"

Jack sniffed. "Something like that."

Jack walked out of the lunch room, feeling like a badass. He went to library instinctively and was surprised—though kind of… well… _not_ —to see Elsa cushioned in a chair with a ratty old book in a hand. He saw her earplugs and smirked. He snuck up behind her and tapped her back. She jumped, took one look at him, and smacked his arm. "What is _wrong_ with you? Oh wait—don't answer. I already know: everything," Elsa said, clearly annoyed.

Jack took a seat by her, snickering. "Come on, that was pretty funny." He pointed her at earbuds. "What're you listening to?"

"A song."

"I know that, idiot, I meant _what."_

With a sigh, she handed him one of the earbuds. He stuck it in his own ear and listened. His eyes widened. "Miley Cyrus?"

She raised a brow. "You _recognized_ the song?"

"It's _The Climb,"_ Jack said. _"Everyone_ knows that song—besides, my fifth grade or so teacher played that movie once. I swear, that class was 90% girls, and they all chose that movie. The movie itself wasn't that bad… Though that scene with Tyra Banks." Jack let out a whistle. He realized that Elsa was looking at him oddly. "What?" he said defensively.

"I don't know." She snickered. "You watched _Hannah Montana?"_

Jack sniffed. "It's pretty funny. What's it to _you?"_

"Nothing, I guess," Elsa said, scoffing lightly. "But why are you _here?_ It's creeping me out. Why aren't you with your admirers?"

Jack shrugged. "I can do my own thing here and there."

"Then I suppose 'your own thing' moments are far apart."

"Nah. I ditch them for the garden a lot." Jack watched her. "Do you sing?"

Elsa shrugged. "Why?"

"Your voice… I don't know…"

"A bit," Elsa said, shrugging a little. She placed her book down and closed her eyes. Jack watched her, waiting. Elsa narrowed her eyes at him. "You want me to sing? To _you?"_ He nodded, and she pursed her lips together _._ Then, she started to sing softly, in a barely audible voice: " _There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waitin' on the other side. It's the climb."_

Jack didn't realize it, but after she sang the first two lines, he sang along with her, taking them both by surprise. Jack reddened immediately. He had been in his elementary school's choir, but that was part of his past that few knew. Elsa's eyes widened as she stared, gawking at him. "You _sing?"_ Disbelief was mixed in with the incredulity in her voice, which was totally understandable.

Jack shrugged. "Was in my school choir. And quit judging me with your eyes, Miss I-Sing-To-The-Climb."

Elsa sighed. "I won't tell anyone you can sing if you don't tell anyone _I_ can sing."

"Deal," Jack said, letting out his breath. To be honest, he thought that she had a beautiful voice. Sure, she was shy and held back on the notes, but she could clearly sing. He wondered why she would hide something like that. Of course, maybe she was scared that music was betray her true thoughts and emotions. That seemed like a completely viable reason.

Jack bit his lip. "You're a good singer," he murmured.

She looked at him like he was a psycho, and Jack closed his eyes. Then, after an eternity, he opened his eyes to find her staring at him. Her staring was unnerving, and her eyes were wide, showing the whites around her irises, but her stare didn't look like she was _judging_ him. "Thanks," she said a little stiffly. "You're not so bad yourself… I didn't think… _you_ out of all people could be able to…"

Jack shrugged. "I could say the same for you, Snowflake."

She sighed, and Jack pressed her earbud into the palm of her hand. "Thanks for not yelling at me," he joked.

"It's a library," she murmured coolly. "You're not worth the trouble."

Jack shrugged. "Well, I'll see you around."

"You mean next period?"

"Smart-ass."

"Thanks."

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered out. The old librarian glared at him with these creepy, dead-like eyes, and Jack quickly shuffled out. Seriously. You'd think the librarian would've died or something. No matter, Jack was happy to get away. He headed to the old garden and touched the railing lightly, tipping his head forward and letting a breeze swirl around him.

He glanced briefly at his rosemary bush, and a faint smile curled onto his lips.

It had been a very interesting day indeed. Let's break it down, shall we?

Jack had woken up, expecting the morning to be just like every other morning he had. He had got up, changed, made himself a nice grilled cheese sandwich—and had been completely shocked in silence. Yep, definitely not one of his finer moments. But hey, don't look at him like that! We _all_ had those moments—don't you dare deny it!

It was always that girl, that girl that was _impossibly_ infuriating.

But she fought back.

So that was all utterly contradictory. Jack's friends didn't fight like that—they joked and taunted and teased, but that was all jokes and stuff. _Elsa… She_ actually yelled at him, not for the sake of joking, but because she hated him. Jack could've found that _very_ amusing… yet he wasn't _used_ to having people hate him. And he _also_ wasn't used to girls being athletes.

Of course, Elsa might not even _be_ one. She might've just been wanting to beat him. After all, she _had_ mentioned that, once or twice.

The rest of the day flew by fast for Jack, and soon, it was late at night. Jack headed over to the library early—was he going to let the Snow Queen beat him there? Not a chance—and waltzed in. The beyond ancient librarian squinted at him, and Jack shuddered, hurrying to the table he and Elsa had worked at. His eyes widened as he noticed the slim figure writing down notes in a tidy scrawl.

"What're _you_ doing here?" he demanded.

Elsa looked up, smirking. "We were _supposed_ to be working on the project."

"But why are you here so _early!"_

"I got here early—maybe you should try it sometimes."

Smart-ass.

Jack pulled out a chair and took a seat by her. He pulled out his notebook and things and stared at her notes for a minute. Then, she looked up at him, eyes narrowed, and said, "Seriously. That's _creepy._ Quit _staring_ at me like that." Then, she went back to work as if that had never happened. Yup, she sure was a joy to be around (note the sarcasm).

"So," Jack said conversationally, "we have one important factor to discuss."

Elsa rested her chin in the palm of her head, bored. "And what, pray tell, is _that?"_

"Names for the characters," he answered, feeling bold and badass.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay." She pulled out a piece of paper with tiny words written on them and all but shoved it in his face. He glared, and she smirked. "Already ahead of you," she answered smugly. "Start reading, mister." He glanced down at the piece of paper, reading to launch into a series of smartass complaints. "And _don't_ complain," she added.

He sniffed and began to read. _"What?! Who wants to put_ Stella _as a name?! That's the most brainless name there is!"_

"Shut up!" Elsa hissed. "The librarian looks like he wants to kill you right about now—and I don't blame him. I want to kill you myself." She crossed her arms defensively as Jack stared in disbelief. "And what's _wrong_ with Stella?" she demanded.

Well, Jack had once had a fling with a girl named Stella.

Stella had been all nice and stuff, but Jack had gotten bored—and Stella had took revenge in the best ways possible: trashing his locker, playing random pranks on him, getting him in trouble (as if he _needed_ her to do that; he got in enough trouble all by _himself,_ thank you very much). Seriously, you name it, and Stella did it. Also, Jack knew it, and Elsa knew it, but the character (Girl) was based off of _her._

And _Stella?_ That name wasn't even in the top billions to describe her.

"How about… Sally?"

Elsa snickered. "And you think _Stella's_ a bad one." Elsa looked thoughtful for a second. "How about… we combine them? Sallystella."

Jack burst out guffawing. _"Sallystella?"_ he echoed. "You're not serious, right?"

Elsa lifted her chin defiantly, but Jack couldn't stop laughing. He saw Elsa trying to hide a smile. But seriously. _Sallystella._ That _had_ to be the most _ridiculous_ and _stupid_ name Jack had _ever_ heard.

He read another one.

"And Susan? Seriously?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

She glared back. "What's wrong with Susan?"

"It sounds _old._ Like… like Susan B. Anthony or something."

"What about..?"

"No," Elsa interrupted.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"After your 'Sally' stunt, I'm letting you _touch_ the names."

Jack growled and stared back at her list grumpily. None of the names jumped out to him. He stared at the list without seeing, his impatience. Elsa was reading over the script again, crossing certain things and tapping her pencil nervously against the table. Figures. The ancient librarian would glare if Jack did so much as sigh but didn't notice when Elsa was tapping _so freaking loudly_ on the table.

He smirked. "How about Solange?"

She dropped her pencil. _"What?"_

He sniffed. "I said 'how about Solange'?"

"No."

"Why not?" he demanded though he knew exactly why. Elsa didn't answer but merely bit her lip and glared at him through narrowed eyes. He snatched the script from her fingers and crossed out the first 'Girl' and scribbled down _Solange_ in its place. Elsa snatched the script back, shot him a nasty look, and began to erase the name. "Stop!" he yelled, attempting to reach for the papers.

"Give it back, Jack!"

"Why should I?"

 _"YOU TWO, GET OUT OF MY LIBRARY!"_

"Yikes," Jack muttered, quickly packing his things. Elsa grabbed the script and stuffed it in her back viciously before waltzing out the door. Jack followed, catching up easily. The librarian was still pointing at the door, glaring. Yikes, indeed. Jack hurried out of the door and headed after Elsa's slim lithe figure. "Hey! Wait up!" he called after her, hurrying.

She glared. "Why?"

"We still have to work on this project," he said weakly. Elsa turned and shot him a burning look that displayed how displeased she was feeling. "Let's go to my room and work on it," he offered. He could practically see the gears turning in her head and knew what she was thinking. He knew she didn't want to spend any time with him… but this could be the quickest way to get it over with. He wondered which would win out.

"Fine," she said acidly.

"Follow me," he said, turning to hide his smirk. He headed towards his room, sauntering, really, and she followed, a contradictory expression on her face. Soon, they arrived, and he pulled out the key, sliding it in easily. He pulled it out and opened the door, not quite smirking at her. "Ladies first." She scoffed and entered. Jack entered after her.

She glanced around briefly, surprised. "I feel like no one lives here."

He shrugged. "Take a seat. We have a few more hours of daylight."

"Actually, it's dark outside."

He scowled, gaze darkening. "Ahem, as I was saying, there are still a few more hours of daylight," he said dramatically. Any other person would've snickered, but as it was, the girl sitting silently in a chair just shook her head, exasperated. One day she would find it funny. He didn't know when, but one day she _would!_ He was sure of it. _Surely_ she had a heart.

"Let's just get this over with," she grumbled sullenly.

They worked in silence, occasionally offering clarification of one thing over another, but for the most part, they both worked in silence. Sometimes, Jack wouldn't even be working. Sometimes, he'd watch the Snow Queen, and she would look up, scowl, come up with a snappy comment, and go back to working. He also noticed that she bit her lip whenever she was thinking.

"You bite your lip when you think."

Her head snapped up. "What?"

"I said—"

"I heard what you said, idiot," she retorted. "But you're seriously freaking me out. Quit _staring._ It's weird and uncomfortable."

He smirked. "So I make you uncomfortable."

"Of _course!_ If I had it my way, I wouldn't be doing this at all!"

She then retreated back into her perpetual silence as Jack lounged casually on his bed. He read over her list of names, noting that she had chosen blunt and normal names. He sniffed and looked up. "Hey, Snow—I mean, Elsa! We can use Stella for Girl 3, if you want. The girl Guy hates."

Elsa pursed her lips. "What's with you and the name _Stella?_ Was she another girl you screwed up with?"

Jack made a face. "Actually, she was the one who liked me and all, but—"

"Let me guess: she got bored."

"Actually, _I_ got bored—and she, being the notorious grudge-keeper she is, wanted nothing more than to ruin my life."

Elsa smirked. "I like the sound of this Stella."

"Yeah, well, that makes one of us," Jack grumbled.

She shrugged. "Oh, is one girl who doesn't fall into your list of girls bothering you?" she taunted, a smirk sliding onto her lips.

Jack sniffed. "As if. Stella wasn't _that_ interesting anyway."

"Yeah, okay."

"At least she had the guts to do that stuff," Jack said abruptly. " _You_ don't do _anything._ You chicken?"

"Do you see any feathers?"

Jack did not snicker, mainly out of the shock of hearing her say such a comment. He saw a small smile playing on her lips, and Jack shook his head absentmindedly. He didn't think anyone had _ever_ responded with such vigor when he asked the question. Elsa had just taken one look at him and shot him down—it wasn't actually expected, but with Elsa, who knew?

Elsa looked pleased at his reaction.

He raised a brow at her. "Wow…"

Her phone rang, and Jack jumped, surprised. Elsa smirked at him and pulled out her phone. "Hello?" Elsa murmured, bringing the phone close to her ear. Jack watched her vividly, recalling how much that freaked her out. Then, Elsa's smile dropped. "Oh." Her tone was noticeably flatter. "Oh, okay. Yeah, of course I'll tell her… Yeah, love you, too. Bye."

Jack raised a brow. "Who's that? Your boyfriend?"

Elsa didn't look up. "No. That was my dad."

Jack's joking demeanor disappeared immediately. "Oh…" Elsa looked visibly upset, but Jack felt all awkward. "Oh, um… What was it about?"

Elsa didn't even seem to realize that she was talking to him. She seemed to be talking to herself… She kept shaking her head. She muttered something under her breath, but Jack only heard one word. _"Funeral,"_ Elsa choked out, her gaze stricken. She didn't even seem to realize he was still in the room. He frowned at her, not sure whether to feel concerned or not.

"I'm… sorry," Jack muttered a bit awkwardly. "Whose funeral?"

"Mom…" Elsa abruptly stood up. Then, she seemed to come back to her senses. Panic flared across her features. She strode towards the door, grabbing her bag. "I have to go."

"I—"

The door slammed shut, and Jack's gaze traveled to the script she had left on the desk. It wasn't fun fighting or teasing someone who was feeling so horrible—Jack knew himself from personal experience. Besides, working with Elsa hadn't been all that bad—though he'd have to remember that line that she had used against his chicken comeback. What was it? _Do you see any feathers?_

Yep, that was all kinds of smart.

Jack suddenly saw her phone lying next to the script. With a sigh, Jack picked up the phone and headed out of his room. He headed to Rapunzel's room and knocked on the there. Someone called _"a minute!"_ from inside. There was a lot of thumping before the door burst open. Rapunzel stood there, her tangle of hair all over the room. Her eyes widened. "Oh, hi, Jack." She blushed.

Jack smirked. "So, what room is Elsa's?"

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "You wanna see her?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. She left her phone in my room."

"She was in your _room?"_ If Rapunzel was gawking before, that was nothing compared to right now. Jack shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. Rapunzel smirked. Then, she said, "She's in the room under mine. You could go through the balcony and jump down to hers if you want a shorter route. Unless you'd rather be a good nice boy and walk to her door," Rapunzel teased.

Jack grinned. "I'll take the shortcut." He was careful not to step on her hair. She threw some at him, and he caught it. "Thanks." He used it to slide down to Elsa's floor. He looked up at Rapunzel. "This one?" She nodded, and he tossed her hair back to her. He glanced at the balcony's twin doors. He tried to open them. Locked. Not a surprise. He knocked on them.

They opened.

"Listen, Rapunzel, I told you not to go this way. I mean, we don't need a repeat of— _what the hell are you doing here?!"_

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "Uh… I kind of… I mean, you kind of left your phone… in my room," Jack said, eyes wide at Elsa's furious expression.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Regret.

Elsa was used to the emotion, though she didn't particularly like it. Who would? But what Elsa _wasn't_ used to was having the emotion for Jack Overland.

Despite everything, Elsa felt bad for forcing him out of her room after he'd been so _chivalrous_ as to returning her phone to her. It had been a nice gesture—especially considering it had come from _Jack_ —and instead of showing her gratitude (not that she would've), she had sent him out and yelled out at him. Ouch. Yep, definitely not one of her better moments.

But after everything… Elsa had just found out when her mother's funeral was going to occur.

Elsa had to tell Anna, of course she had to, and who knew how her sister would react? Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't know _how_ to tell her sister. She had always been trying to protect Anna all her life, and now… She really had no choice but to tell Anna. And Elsa was fairly sure that Anna would bounce back quickly because, well, that was just the kind of person Anna was. But UGHHH. Why was life so complicated?

Wait.

Jack had come through the balcony door. That meant that… ugh, that meant that Rapunzel knew— _she_ must've let him down there. That meant that Jack had asked _Rapunzel._ That _also_ meant that Rapunzel was going to grill her like crazy tomorrow. Great… just abso-blooming-lutely _great._ And Elsa just thought her day just _couldn't_ get better (note the sarcasm).

Elsa hit her face in a fluffy pillow before wrapping her arms around the pillow, hugging it as if it was her lifeline. Elsa closed her eyes tightly and whimpered a little, the soft sound slightly muffled through the pillow. Elsa lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling without really seeing. The scent of vanilla filled the room. Elsa had once found the scent delicious—now it was only cloying.

Elsa shook her head darkly. "Get it together, Elsa. Get it together."

Elsa got out of bed and quickly took a shower, letting the warm water beat down her back. She revolved slowly, letting the warm water send her away. She changed into her favorite pair of pajamas and curled up in bed, her damp hair drying. She pulled the covers over her tightly and closed her eyes. Warmth spread through her fingertips, sending waves of warmth through her body.

She felt so comfortable… and so, so _sleepy._

Now, reviewing the day in her head, Elsa felt embarrassed.

Elsa sat in bed, hugging her legs. Pale moonlight shone through the windows, and Elsa stared at her pale skin, which seemed to glow in the dark, lit up by the moon's hazy embrace. Elsa curled her hands into fists before uncurling them. She studied the moonlight, and a pale helpless feeling washed through her—helplessness at not being able to do anything about… things.

Elsa ran a hand through her long platinum hair, letting the pale locks cascade over her fingers. Her hair was still slightly damp, and Elsa knew she wouldn't be able to go to sleep with wet hair—she had tried before. It _hadn't_ been pleasant. Elsa reluctantly stepped out of bed and opened the twin balcony doors. She let a chilly breeze sweep through the room. Her hair billowed.

Elsa shivered, the breeze shaking away every last trace of sleep from her body. She felt tired but not tired enough to go to sleep. Tears welled up in Elsa's eyes, and Elsa wiped them away. She had cried the day she had found out her mother had died. She didn't want a repeat of that hollowness, despite the stuffy ache in her throat was telling her. She didn't want to feel _weak._

Elsa dreaded going to school tomorrow, dreaded facing everyone.

Elsa's alabaster fingers gripped the balcony's railing, which was painted to a smooth pale finish. Elsa inhaled the heady scent of the night air and looked down, feeling nervousness spark through her palms. Elsa had never been very fond of heights. It wasn't to say that she was afraid… she just… didn't really _like_ them. If humans were meant to be up, they would have wings. Being up high felt… _unnatural_ to Elsa.

Elsa reluctantly headed back into the darkness of her room. She closed the balcony doors and locked them. She was once again enclosed in a cloying perfumed room. She wrinkled her nose and headed towards her bed, stumbling a bit in the dark. Elsa took a moment to catch her breath before sliding gratefully under the covers, the warmth contrasting oddly with the cold of the outside.

Elsa closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her.

Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.

Too bad Elsa didn't believe that.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack replayed the events in his head as a darkening night pulled over him. He was sitting quietly in the old garden. A faint breeze played with the collar of his shirt, and the scent of rosemary splayed out before him. The garden's delectable aromas wafted in the air, allowing him to breathe in its perfumed embrace. The night air mingled with the scent of flowers and honey refreshingly.

Jack pulled out his phone, blinking as its bright screen flashed at him. _10:30._ He ignored the numbers and shoved his phone back into his pocket. It was very well past curfew—Jack was very well aware of that fact—and Jack knew that he would be in trouble if he was caught.

But Jack had always been good at getting out of tight situations. This should be no different.

Fancying a little music, Jack pulled his phone out again. He went on _Spotify_ and tapped some random. It was an old song from the 70s. It was _Crazy On You_ by Heart. He had liked that band, he had. Jack leaned back and listened to the song's various guitar solos, smiling a little to himself. The song finished soon, and another song replaced it. This time, it was _Turn Right_ by the Jonas Brothers.

He liked that song, he did. It was peaceful. Music nowadays was all just a bunch of words stuck in electrical music.

 _And somehow I'm to blame for this never ending race track you call life._

Jack heard footsteps approaching, and panic crossed through him. Quickly, Jack shut the sound off his phone and darted behind a bush. He saw a light flashing about and knew a guard was out there, searching for him. The light shone, and Jack, a little frozen with fear, forced himself to creep forward. The light paused, and Jack knew that the guard was listening hard, listening for _him._

Jack held his breath, and as the light moved, Jack moved in the opposite direction. He was a master of deception. Jack had no doubt that if he remained silent, he wouldn't be discovered. The beam of light flashed around the flower blossoms, and Jack moved closer to the door. He heard the guard swear, and Jack slowly stood up. He gazed at his exit.

"Make it easier for us all, kid, and come out!" the guard called.

Jack bit his lip and swore. Screw his ivory-colored hair—it was no sort of disguise. But maybe the guard would think it was a trick of the moonlight. Jack crouched a little as he saw the guard move. Jack froze as the light shone straight at the tree he was hiding behind. Jack quickly ducked and lay down on his stomach, praying the ground would open and swallow him up.

Jack held his breath for a few heartbeats before the light passed on. Jack didn't dare to breathe as he saw the guard sweep through the field. Screw Jack's music—that had probably given him away or something. Jack saw his exit. Then, he picked up a stone and threw it across the garden. The guard spun around, flashing his flashlight around wildly. Jack stole away into the night.

Once he reached the hall, Jack took off sprinting to his room. He quickly jammed the key in once he arrived and closed the door quietly. Then, he locked the door and sank into his bed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The academy must've upgraded their security system. Jack panted. He would have to be careful not to get caught next time. Jack pushed his teachers as it was—they were all just _looking_ for a reason to kick him out.

As Jack gazed out at his balcony, he was reminded of Elsa. But why? Jack never focused on one person solely…

Could he possibly… possibly be _worried_ about Elsa Wynters?

No, that couldn't be possible…

Could it?

* * *

 **QotD: When did you last have a nightmare?**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, it's Darky! Okay, wow, I seriously need to get my priorities up. BUT I finished a story on fanfiction! Finished _writing_ a story. It's not a Jelsa story. It's a Niley (NickXMiley) story. That was mainly the reason why I didn't update this one. Plus... I find it _way_ easier to make chapters, like, 2000-3000 words instead of 10,000 words. But now I can definitely give this story my focus.  
**

 **That is, if I don't randomly start another story.**

 **I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm trying to make this story funny and enjoyable, which isn't that easy to do... I mean, I guess I have _some_ motivation for this story but not as much as I have had for stories like SILS or ADWD, which are both completed, over 100,000 word stories. I'm planning a sequel for both, though I'm pretty sure the sequel for SILS will come much sooner.**

 **I don't know what to say about the Jelsa fandom. I've lost much interest, so my writing isn't as good as it could be, but I'm going to finish this story one way or another. Then, I think I'll be done with Jelsa. Maybe forever. Maybe for a year. I don't know. But we'll see, right? Somehow, I'm writing another story (not posted here yet) that also has 10,000 words per chapter. I'm finding it _supremely_ easy, or at significantly easier, to write it. Maybe 'cause it's a Niley story. That's the shipping I'm really into now.**

 **We'll see if I can dole out monthly chapters (at least) since I have no other stories that need updating on this site.**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darky**


	5. Back to the Start

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 5 - Back to the Start**

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 **"** **Welcome to Hollywood. Boy, ya better live it up before it brings you down. Welcome to Hollywood. Just got a grip on how to get around." ~Excerpt from _Welcome to Hollywood,_ Mitchel Musso**

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When you stop to think about it, you're really always regretting. Maybe regretting about the smallest things—a broken pencil, a lost friend.

No matter, it was still regretting.

Regret was an interesting emotion. You needed it yet too much of the stuff was quite paralyzing… much like adrenaline. Really, it depended on the intensity of the event—and the trauma that followed. Regret was like a tidal wave, swelling and swelling and holding back until all hell broke loose, and everything that was alright—or, inasmuch as it could be alright—in the world just _exploded._

It was startling—wasn't it always?—like that, but people got on their lives as if they never felt that regret pierce their hearts. Did they feel? Perhaps they did—perhaps some were just better at hiding it than others. Regret, some may think, was a useless emotion. Maybe it was. Maybe everything you regretted in your life was pointless—but you _do_ need it.

Did it make sense? No. But since when did things make sense in the world?

Regret was usually mixed in with grief—even if it was the simplistic of griefs. Grief was grief, and regret was regret. Similar yet not quite the same. One could drive himself crazy with such thoughts, but didn't it just amount to the same thing? A whole pile of nothing. Because when you think about it, living—though a blessed gift in itself—is really just a web of dangers and grief and more regret.

But there were perks to living, of course. You've seen those smiling faces in Hollywood, haven't you? Well, they were probably mostly fake.

So how do you know who to trust? There are so many fakers out there, wouldn't you agree?

Perhaps the world was meant to run like this—secrecy and deception and lies. But the better part of the world—if there _was_ a better part—perhaps held the happiness, too. Smiling when you aren't happy—that could be a lie, too, couldn't it? But if people aren't directly asking you, are you even lying? Again, one can drive himself crazy with such thoughts.

The amount of regret one person can feel was staggering, perhaps. Regret over broken plates, a bad grade—those weren't _real_ tragedies, were they? Well, it really depended on how your mind worked and what you were taught—what you believed in. Then, those small trifles that were considered more… they would _still_ be nothing compared to the worse things that could happen, right?

Once you've passed childhood—if even that—were you really happy?

It was always worry. Worry targeted you, made you its victim. Throughout school, all those pressures of thinking _am I good enough? Will people like me?_ Yes, school was, perhaps, in some ways a torturer—a hell—rather than a sanctuary. But many places can be both—it really depended on the person, really. School could change a person, it could mess with your mind. The people _in_ the school could twist you and distort you like an old toy.

But worry, like many things, can also turn into anger.

Rage was a strange thing. Rage fueled you, yet, when it was over, a lot of the times, you would feel regret. Unless you were so far dehumanized that he couldn't feel regret—or perhaps chose to ignore it. It's dangerous to ignore your emotions—you need to accept them. But rage—at least, a certain amount of it—was healthy. Maybe it was like a release. Maybe it still is.

And again, maybe, maybe, maybe.

There were too many 'maybes' in the world to worry about. No good was to come out of fretting over the possibly outcomes. You did what you did and what you could do and hoped, worried, and regretted. But such things could cause a person's head to explode—rage was healthy. Crying, screaming, kicking… all of those—releases, in a twisted way, really.

People were quite contradictory things. People could change their mind in the snap of their fingers and change it back. People bought things and got jobs and flaunted off their beloved items. And always, for adults, it was almost always about money. Money and numbers. And why shouldn't it be? One's life ran on money, right?

Wrong.

Oh, sure, money could buy you happiness—to a degree. But after that, the happiness wasn't there. Happiness came from many sources: shelter, food, safety, family, and—perhaps the greatest of all—your own achievements. The levels of happiness were very hard to achieve. You couldn't get to the top without going through the bottom—and the bottom was quite difficult.

Shelter? Food? Those were necessities. You _needed_ them to survive. And without feeling safe, how could you possibly be happy? Of course, money could buy you shelter, food, and perhaps safety. But feeling comfortable in your own skin? That was on _you._ Money _might_ help you… and then some. But adults always seemed to worry about the strips of paper with the little numbers on them.

The next levels of happiness could be achieved by touch, family, friends. You have no idea how much touch really affects you—you _need_ some touch in your life. A comforting gesture could do wonders. Of course, the dehumanization role can also meddle with your mind. Do you ever stop to wonder if you ever feel _human_ enough? To see if sometimes you don't feel?

You might never understand how people work. Your brain might simply not be wired that way—but so are a million other people.

But such thoughts could drive a person crazy.

But are people really sane?

Elsa wasn't sure about anything right now. Of course, waking up from an insane dream might give her such thoughts, but she didn't really care right now. She might care later, but that was later. This was _now,_ and even though people didn't really live in the present, Elsa was sure that she didn't need to focus on that at all in the moment. Did it do good to fret of possible 'maybes'?

No.

Sometimes, questions were the hard things, and the answers were easier. Maybe they were just a one-word answer. Maybe not.

Dang. Again with the 'maybes.'

Bright light peeked through the curtains of the windows, and Elsa squinted, raising a hand to block out the flaring light. Then, she turned away and got out of bed. She wiped sweat off her forehead. Somehow, she couldn't remember what her dream—or nightmare, really—was about. But it didn't matter anyway. Perhaps it was of no importance, then.

She walked towards her closet and paused, hesitating, before picking out her uniform. She showered quickly before changing. She sighed. Another day, another day. Elsa's body was also screaming obscenities at her—yep, definitely a mistake to run—or sprint, really—the other day. Screw Elsa's competitive side. She didn't remember being so competitive—unless that was only around a certain person.

Elsa picked up her phone when a knock sounded at her door. A rueful smile lit up Elsa's lips. She knew _exactly_ who it was. She opened the door and stepped to the side just before a slim figure sprinted right into the room. Figures. She smiled at the girl with jade-colored eyes. "Hello, Rapunzel," Elsa said, letting a soft smile relax on her features. Rapunzel's bubbly enthusiasm simply could _not_ be contained, could it?

Rapunzel smirked, crossed her arms, and said, "Tell me _everything!"_

"About what?" Elsa said, feinting innocence.

Rapunzel nudged her in the ribs. "You know _what!"_

Elsa smirked slightly despite the mess of emotions and fatigue ringing in her mind. She subconsciously wrung her hands together and pursed her lips. "Really, there's nothing to talk about," Elsa confessed. "We were working on that thing for Mr. Pabbie, and when we were done, I forgot my phone… I was searching something up," Elsa lied, feinting a bored expression. "Are we done yet?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "No! I mean, you kind of left out the most important part!"

"Like _what?"_

"Like, um, I don't know, say, how _your phone_ got in _his room."_

"Um, we were working on the project—"

"In _his_ room?" Rapunzel squealed. "But you two were alone… and he _never_ lets girls in his room unless he's going to—"

 _"Gross,_ Rapunzel!" Elsa groaned.

Rapunzel giggled. _"What?"_

Elsa rolled her eyes. She loved Rapunzel, yes, but Rapunzel was also insane. And not the kind of crazy that you can laugh off and brush off as nothing. The kind of crazy that made you wonder if she was secretly an alien from another dimension or something. Or… as if she was that old cranky guy who lived down the street and yelled at his keys for no reason. Ew, bad image.

"The librarian kicked us out," Elsa muttered.

Rapunzel's eyes widened. _"Wait_ —the librarian kicked _you_ out?"

"It was _his_ fault!" Elsa complained. "He was provoking me and everything!"

Rapunzel's smile widened into a smirk, and Elsa groaned. If she knew Rapunzel like she knew Rapunzel, Rapunzel obviously had some sort of plan hatched inside that over-active brain of hers. And just like that, Elsa could practically see the gears turning in Rapunzel's head and the lightbulb in her eyes. Elsa groaned. "Please don't tell me you have an elaborate scheme that'll probably get me and the rest of humanity in trouble," Elsa pleaded.

Rapunzel rolled her light green eyes. "As if." Rapunzel smiled mysteriously. "Or do I?" Elsa groaned at the contradictory statements. Rapunzel's eyes widened, and a smile curled up her delicately glossed lips, teeth hidden behind her smile. "You know, Elsa, you and Jack are so similar." Elsa froze. All her brain could process was the word _what?!_ Rapunzel chuckled. "Wow, look at your face—I really had you going there for a second, didn't I?"

Elsa shoved her friend. _"Not_ funny, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel stuck out her tongue. "Yes, it was. Anyway, I was kind of not joking, too." Again, Elsa stared in disbelief. "You just don't realize how much…"

Elsa shook her head. "Impossible," she declared. "I would never have anything in common with that self-centered, self-conceited, obnoxious monster of a person."

Rapunzel shrugged. "You never know. But fine. I'll stop bugging you on this. Want to get some breakfast? I heard they're serving donuts!" Elsa laughed at Rapunzel's obsession with fried dough. "What?" Rapunzel said defensively. "It's _really good._ There's literally _nothing_ better than fried dough topped with delicious glaze or sprinkles or a chocolate coating. Mmm."

Elsa laughed. "I'm sort of surprised that you're not this obese monster with the way you eat," she teased.

"I know, right?" Rapunzel agreed laughingly.

Elsa was glad Rapunzel took the joke well. They both exited the room and headed over to the cafeteria. Rapunzel squealed when she saw the donuts. Elsa had to admit that they looked quite delicious. The trays of golden donuts seemed to almost glow. Some were slathered in glaze, others were coated with chocolate or strawberry frosting. They were quite enticing.

Rapunzel grabbed at least four donuts—saying that she'd probably sneak some into class and eat while listening to a boring lecture—and urged Elsa to take at least one as well. Elsa picked one with white frosting. It looked pure and refined and delicious, which led Elsa to thinking how people invented donuts in the first place. Was it some sort of accident or something? Well, whatever. It was certainly a _delicious_ accident.

Rapunzel led Elsa to an empty table this time, explaining that everyone else was either dieting or something and didn't want to be near donuts. "Ha, your doughnut just justifies you being a snow queen, Elsa," Rapunzel mused as she took a ridiculously large bite of her first doughnut. Elsa laughed and gingerly took a bite of her doughnut. She closed her eyes and the sweetness melted into her mouth.

"Mmm, pretty good," Elsa admitted wryly.

"I _told_ you!" Rapunzel said triumphantly. "Ooh, look, there's Anna!"

Sure enough, Elsa's sister headed towards them, her tray laden with some donuts, as well. Anna smiled brightly. "Hey, guys!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, and Elsa wondered for an excruciating moment if Anna had _always_ added a personal exclamation point to every word. Anna pointed at the donuts. "I hope the academy serves these every single day! They're delicious!"

Elsa laughed. "They're pretty good."

"So, what's up?" Anna mused.

Elsa hesitated. She _wanted_ to tell Anna about the funeral. And Anna seemed a bit serious now, well, inasmuch as she could be. But it still didn't feel like the right time, even now. Elsa knew she had to _eventually_ tell Anna. She glanced at the clock and decided to wait for five more minutes... Or maybe she should tell Anna at the end of the day, so Anna would have the entire night to deal with it instead of keeping a straight face through every single class.

"Nothing much," Elsa said casually.

"Liar," Rapunzel teased. "What about Jackson Overland?"

Anna's head shot up. "Elsa, do you have a crush on Jack?"

Elsa's. Jaw. Dropped.

"Y-y-you're _joking,_ right?" Elsa said incredulously. "Has _no one_ been paying attention to the fact that I just can't _stand_ him?"

"No, not really," Rapunzel said, almost comically.

Elsa groaned. Now they were back in boy territory. Not exactly safe but safer than funeral territory. Elsa let the other two chatter on and pretended to be distracted by her donut to avoid the conversation. It wasn't that Elsa _didn't_ want to talk—well kind of—but she just didn't want to accidentally let something slip. It was easier to hide your emotions when you didn't have to talk or communicate with others—especially others that sort of really knew you.

Elsa finished her donut, chewing the last bite thoughtfully. By then, Rapunzel had polished off three of her donuts.

"Man, these are _good,"_ Rapunzel said, standing up. "I'm going to get some more. Be right back."

And Elsa was alone with Anna.

Elsa wondered if the universe was trying to torture her or something.

"This school is great, isn't it?" Anna said in that slightly rambling nature she had. Elsa nodded, and Anna seem to barely gasp for breath before continuing to chatter on like nothing was wrong in her world. In Anna's world—which probably consisted of cute boys, unicorns, and rainbows (note the sarcasm)—nothing probably was wrong. "I mean, they _could_ change how the teachers teach the subjects, but I guess it's up to the teachers. After all, it's kind of _their_ class, and if the academy leaders and stuff don't really _know_ the subject, how could they even teach it better? You know?"

"God, Anna, do you even breathe between sentences?" Elsa joked.

Anna paused, like she really thinking about it. "Um, I don't know. I don't really think about it, I guess, but I guess I would _have_ to breathe. I mean, if I didn't, I would, like, die, right?" Anna tilted her head like a confused puppy that made Elsa smile. "But since I'm _not_ dead, I guess I _do_ breathe. But it's such a natural thing to do I don't think anybody really thinks about whether or not they're breathing—don't you think so?"

Mercifully, Rapunzel came back. Elsa's eyes widened as she saw all of the donuts on Rapunzel's tray. "Jeez, Rapunzel, did you rob a bakery or something?" Elsa gasped.

"Maybe," Rapunzel said with a mischievous smile. "Besides, you said it yourself—they're really good!"

"They _are,"_ Elsa conceded, "but that doesn't mean you have to steal them all, greedy guts."

Rapunzel smiled coyly, eyes defiant, before grabbing a donut and biting into the sweetness of the fried dough. "Want one?" Rapunzel offered, pointing at her tray. "I have some white-frosted ones." She pointed at a perfect array of donuts. Elsa smiled and shook her head. Rapunzel puckered her lips into a pout. She turned to Anna. "Want some?" she offered generously.

"Thanks, but I have my own," Anna said with a small smile.

Rapunzel ate in absolute silence, in huge bites. "God, Rapunzel, do you even taste what you eat before swallowing?" Elsa inquired.

"Sure I do," Rapunzel said, smirking. "Sometimes."

Elsa glanced anxiously at the clock. Elsa let out all her breath. She would tell Anna _later._ Breakfast was almost over, and Elsa would have to got History. History with _Jack._ Elsa flushed, feeling embarrassed. Jack... He was the only one who knew—because Elsa had been so out of it. He was the only one who knew about the funeral. Elsa wondered if she could trust that he'd keep his mouth shut. Probably not, considering his badass reputation.

Elsa had to find out.

The bell rang, indicating they had five minutes before their next class. Elsa got up and flashed a smile at Anna and Rapunzel. "Ah, school." School indeed.

Elsa headed over to room 32, Mr. Sandstone's History class. She took her seat in the back and listened as Mr. Sandstone went on about the Renaissance or something like that. Then, Mr. Sandstone gave them their homework/classwork and told them to get started. Elsa worked quietly and attentive. Then, she heard a quiet thud next to her. Curiosity peaked, Elsa turned, slightly annoyed. Then, she realized that Jack was sitting next to her now.

"Hey," he said, tone neutral.

"Hey," Elsa said, monotone.

He hesitated, and Elsa looked up at him, wondering what his problem was. He looked... uneasy. The word didn't seem right to describe someone like Jack. Then, Jack mumbled something incoherently. Elsa frowned, shooting him another _what's your deal?_ look. Jack shifted in his seat a little which drove Elsa abso-freaking-lutely nuts because the rickety old chair just scraped against the wood floor in an annoying way. Then, in a slightly louder voice, Jack murmured, "Are you okay?"

If Elsa was eating a donut, she would've choked on it.

"What?" was the best she could come up with. Hey, be grateful she could actually _say_ something.

"Are you okay?" Jack repeated. "I mean, yesterday..."

Damn it. He hadn't forgotten. "Fine," she mumbled.

"Are you sure? I mean—"

"—I'm _fine,_ not that that's any of _your_ business," she snapped rather sharply at him. She regretted doing so because he hadn't even been _really_ bothering her, but she was cranky and hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night, and he was _Jackson Overland_ —and everything he did just drove her abso-freaking-lutely insane. Lack of sleep + more and more secrets and pressure = cranking up the magnitude of everything negative.

Jack huffed a little and looked like he regretted asking her if she was okay but didn't look absolutely positive. Then, he muttered, "Fine. Whatever."

Elsa wanted to say that it wasn't his fault—though he _really_ should've known better than to bother her—but for a change, he wasn't acting all cocky and confident. For a moment there, he actually sounded sincere, and if Elsa wasn't herself, she might've said _concerned,_ but since he was Jack Overland, and she was Elsa Wynters, she was sure he was just worried about whether or not her 'problems' would affect their stupid project.

That made a hell of a lot more sense, anyway.

Elsa mumbled something incoherently, and Jack looked at her weirdly. "I said sorry," she mumbled.

He looked baffled. Then, he shrugged. "Eh, whatever. But... you know... sorry for your loss and all."

"Doesn't matter anyway, right?" Elsa mumbled and turned away, dropping her pencil on purpose so she would have an excuse to look away from him. Before she could pick up the pencil, Jack, in a deft move, leaned down and picked it up. He pressed it onto her fingers, let go, and went back to writing. Elsa stared dumbly at the pencil in her hand and wondered why his touch was so cold. Didn't he have any heat of his own? She shivered. It was like touching sheet ice.

Elsa glanced at him. "Are you working on the project?" Because why would he be sitting next to her if he wasn't?

He shot her a look that blatantly said _are you stupid?_ It also made her feel very small. "What do _you_ think?" he snapped harshly.

That stung, more so than it should've, but it stunned her because it was so different from the persona he had adopted earlier. She wondered for an excruciating if she had imagined that. But now. Why else would he be all snappy at her now? She settled her expression into a glare. "What is your _problem?"_ she snapped, her glare hardening with each passing second.

Jack's icy eyes, the exact same shade as frozen frost, tilted upward at her. "What is _my_ problem?" he echoed angrily. "What is _my_ problem? _I_ wasn't the one yelling at people when they only asked a simple question. If anything, this is all _your_ fault. You bring out the worst in everybody." His scowl hardened on his jaw, his eyes narrowed into glittery glaciers. "You're the one who treats me like an evil incarnate."

Elsa hissed, "Well, maybe that's because you _act_ like one."

They glared at each other, neither faltering or wavering, eyes trained on each other. Jack's glare deepened and darkened. He glowered at her. "Oh, but I suppose you would know evil incarnates, right?"

"You only care about yourself," Elsa hissed furiously. "You don't care about what anyone else is going through as long as you manage to get right back on top—but this is _my_ life you're messing with, and that's not okay with me. So go flaunt your stupid face like it's a prize, go strut around talking to people who make you feel better about yourself—but you're a selfish _jerk_ who has no idea what's really going on. And what're you going to do _after_ school? You might rule this school, but your reputation hardly matters. It's not going to get you a job."

Jack's eyes widened. "You have no idea who I am."

"Maybe I don't," Elsa said fiercely, "but I know you're a _horrible_ person. You treat the girls who pad after you like _dirt."_

Jack sniffed. "I didn't _ask_ them to be in love with me."

"But they're _not._ They're infatuated with you."

"I suppose that's _completely_ ethical. I mean—"

Elsa felt like punching a hole in the wall. "Will you shut the _hell_ up for five freaking seconds?" she demanded.

"You—"

"Forget it. Forget everything. Forget we had ever had this conversation, you stuck-up, good-for-nothing, incarnation from hell."

Elsa got up out of her seat, grabbed her bag, headed further back in the room, and sat down angrily, grinding her teeth together furiously.

She didn't think she had ever hated him anymore than she did now.

She didn't think it was possible to hate someone so much it hurt.

Looks like this day was just absolutely _full_ of surprises, wasn't it?

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack glanced behind him, not for the first time, at Elsa. She looked beyond pissed, and he knew it was his fault. Not that he felt guilty or bad or anything like that, but wow. All the progress they had—gone. He sighed. He didn't have the patience to really get their so-called 'truce' back on track, and he didn't think she did, either. He had never seen her look so _mad._

Definitely a new one.

Of course, she _had_ been talking to _him,_ and he was notorious for getting the calmest people infuriated.

Of course, perhaps he should've been nicer. After all, she just learned about her mother's funeral. That _had_ to be hard... but that didn't mean she had to lash out—well... actually, she had handled it better than _he_ could've. If Jack was in her shoes, he would've punched himself clear on the face. But oh, she _looked_ like she wanted to punch him. Or hit him. Or him _something_ to make someone hurt, make someone hurt as much as—

Wait...

 _Of course_ she was hurting. What he had said hadn't made her feel better. Ugh. Everything was just so messed up.

Jack stared at his writing and sighed, scowling. He glanced at his untidy scrawl and crossed some lines out. He shoved the notebook in his backpack harshly and glanced at the clock. When was this class going to _end?_ Jack couldn't wait to get out of this—oh wait. Jack felt his anger rise again. Pissed off, Jack decided that History was better than the freaking fancy way Rosethorn Academy called P.E. Because the teacher _always_ seemed to pair him with the freaking Snow Queen. Of course, the girl had a smile icy enough for the title.

But Jack couldn't help but feel bad.

Ugh, what was this girl _doing_ to him?

Jack couldn't remember the last time he felt bad. Maybe the time he teased Naveen one too many times about his new haircut that Naveen had ignored him for three days straight. And that was a _long_ time ago. More than a year ago. Of course, he had apologized to Naveen, who had forgiven him instantly. Jack had remembered being so relieved and ashamed all at once. He hadn't known how much he had valued Naveen's friendship. The three days had been _agonizing._

But Jack didn't even _like_ Elsa. So why the heck did he feel _bad?_

Crap. It was all her. Fault. Well—maybe his fault, too, because why else would he feel bad?

Jack stole another glance at her. She still looked mad, still super pissed off. He wondered if she would really punch him in, say, P.E. or something. Maybe then she'd have a proper excuse. And who _wouldn't_ believe _sweet Elsa Wynters?_ Note the sarcasm. Of course, a girl like her would obviously charm her teachers. Of course, Mr. North wasn't exactly a warm and fuzzy teacher.

Maybe it could work like that.

Jack closed his eyes, a mistake. The image of Elsa 'Snow Queen' Wynters invaded his mind. She _was_ beautiful, but it was like she didn't really notice that, which, in a way, sort of made her look prettier. She wasn't a try-hard like half the school, which he didn't mind—at least, not _that_ much. Half the school tried to suck up to him as much as they could, the others were either hating on him (just not openly) or admiring him silently from the sidelines. Their devotion to him was admirable, creepy but admirable.

But Elsa's hair was rather like his, and Jack wondered not for the first time whether they were distant family members or something. Probably not. He _seriously_ doubted that. Elsa had pale flesh that looked as if it could burn easily. She had piercing wintry blue eyes and platinum locks. All in all, quite the looker. Jack knew that blue eyes and blonde hair was a highly coveted look in the academy— _especially_ platinum blonde hair.

So Jack had the coveted looks. He had perfectly styled to present a 'just out of bed' feel hair that was a platinum blonde so pale it was literally close to white. Elsa's hair was more platinum than his, but hers was still pale. People like Rapunzel—well, Rapunzel was a looker. With that long blonde hair and light green eyes, there were definitely males who had their fair share of dreams about Rapunzel—COUGH, COUGH, Flynn, COUGH, COUGH.

But Jack's look was _frosty._ There were plenty of blondes with blue eyes, but they were usually tanned. Jack knew his _frosty_ look was hot. Was it sad that his classmates worshipped him more than the god(s) they worshipped? Yes, but who was he to crush their admirations?

Jack had probably hooked up with over half the girls in the school. They all knew he was a player, but they still went for him anyway. That was why Elsa's words stung—he knew she was... well, sort of speaking the truth. Jack wasn't a very nice person, but he was popular. But _so what?_ It irked him that a girl's opinion on him bothered him so much. He just wasn't... _used_ to it. And who _wanted_ to get used to something like that?

Jack stared at his hands, letting a gust of breath billow from his lips.

He glanced at the clock. _Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock._ Seriously. How slow was the clock?

Jack scratched the back of his neck. Evidently, this was going to be a long morning.

 **Behind Her Smile**

P.E., unsurprising, was miserable. Elsa resented being in such close contact with Jack—they were practicing self-defense—but relished the thought of punching his face. Of course, that didn't happen. They only focused on dodging—where fingers sliding against skin was the only contact. Elsa was sure he knew that she was still pissed off—but at least P.E. helped her let off some steam.

Jack looked almost as pissed off as she had, which she thought was _completely_ unfair.

Elsa was glad when the miserable class was over, and though math with Ms. Gerda wasn't exactly her definition of 'fun,' it was a hell of a lot better than a class with Jack. Her victory was short-lived because Ms. Gerda's class was as dull as she remembered, and Elsa spent most of math doodling in her notebook and listening to music. Ms. Gerda might've noticed, but if she did, she didn't make note of it.

Lunch approached sooner after, and Elsa was grateful for the break. Instead of residing in the library, Elsa headed over to the music room. Thankfully, it was empty. Elsa waltzed over to the piano and let her fingers glide across the smooth keys as she played a song. She found herself singing along with the chorus of notes. _"Let it go, let it go._ _Can't hold it back anymore._ _Let it go, let it go._ _Turn away and slam the door!"_

The twinkling of piano notes soothed her frazzled nerves a little, and Elsa felt better. She had always loved music but was too shy to express any real confidence in it—or, at least, never expressed any real confidence in front of others. By herself, Elsa would feel so much better about singing and playing the piano. _"I don't care_  
 _what they're going to say._ _Let the storm rage on, t_ _he cold never bothered me anyway!"_

It felt good to let go of everything that had been bothering her for so long. Elsa glanced at the clock. She hesitated, contemplating staying in the music room or... well, going to her sister to tell her the news. Anna was going to hear about it one way or another, right? With a sigh, Elsa got up. Her touched the piano lightly, feeling a sort of wistfulness creep through her.

 _Get it together, Elsa._

Elsa headed out of the massive music room and headed over to the cafeteria. She spotted her sister's vibrant strawberry-blonde curls right away. Rapunzel was sitting alone in a corner though seemed perfectly content. Rapunzel was also munching on donuts. Figures. Elsa headed over to Rapunzel first. She smiled at her friend. "Wow, Rapunzel, how many donuts do you _have?"_ Elsa teased.

Rapunzel grinned. "Hey, Elsa. And I don't know. But they are delicious. Want one?" Elsa knew that she was just doing it to stall for time, but she nodded anyway. She took a glazed one this time, causing Rapunzel to gasp loudly. "It can't be! You're choosing a glazed donut! Well, actually, glaze kind of looks like ice, because it's clear and all. You're not off the hook! Not this time!"

Elsa giggled. "Yeah, well, at least I'm not inhaling donuts."

Rapunzel sniffed. "I'm very sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

They lunched on the delicious fried dough, and Elsa found herself enjoying the time. Rapunzel had an almost thoughtful look in her eye, but she seemed to be hesitating to speak. Finally, after finishing half her donut, Elsa found herself speaking. "Okay, what's on your mind? You have that look in your eyes—and before you say 'what look,' please just make this easier for me and agree and just tell me."

Rapunzel grinned. Then, she tilted her head thoughtfully, eyes narrowing to slits like a cat's eyes. "Well, it's just... you know, Jack looked _pissed_ at P.E. Everyone was talking about it—I don't think they were talking about you personally, though, don't worry." Relief washed down Elsa's spine. Rapunzel laughed. "Look at your face! You really _are_ relieved."

"Of _course_ I am! I hate Jack! I don't want my name anyway associated with his! Besides the stupid play we're working on. It's actually... well, not bad, so I want my fair share of the credit," Elsa said indignantly. Rapunzel shook her head absentmindedly and reached for another donut, this one covered with chocolate and a rainbow of sprinkles. "Wow, Rapunzel," Elsa teased.

"They don't serve these often enough," Rapunzel grumbled. "It's like the school _wants_ to torture me more than usual."

"Ha ha," Elsa said, grinning. "The school isn't _torturing_ _anyone."_

"Not physically—well, unless you count P.E.," Rapunzel countered. "But they have us sitting through this lame-ass classes. I've fallen asleep most of the time, really, and it's not like we really _need_ this stuff. I mean, not _all_ of us are going to invest in business classes and become millionaires. All _I_ want in my life is little fun. Live a little, Elsa. You should come to that party we have next week."

"I'll... think about it."

"Pah, seriously, why not?"

"Well..." Elsa blushed. "I'm not really that sort of person."

"Yeah, but you can strike up a good conversation," Rapunzel said, smiling. "Plus, you're totally hot." Elsa's eyes widened. Rapunzel laughed at her bafflement. "Come _on._ You can't tell me you haven't noticed. You're _beautiful._ You have crazy amazing hair. Your looks are _coveted_ here, trust me. I mean, with your platinum blonde hair and blue eyes?" Rapunzel whistled and sighed wistfully. "I wish I looked like you."

Elsa's. Jaw. _Dropped._

"Y-y-you're not _s-serious,_ are you?" Elsa stuttered, utterly flabbergasted.

"Never been more serious," Rapunzel said seriously.

Elsa found that really hard to believe. She had always admired Rapunzel's radiant beauty and vivacious and charismatic attitude. Rapunzel was _beautiful,_ with that long golden hair and pale jade eyes. Elsa always felt washed out and plain compared to her friend. Rapunzel's beauty seemed luminous. Well, every girl wanted what she couldn't have, right? Elsa blushed. She had never thought of herself as 'pretty.' If there was an adjective to describe her, it would be shy.

Beautiful was a new one.

"Wow," Elsa murmured. "But you're so beautiful. And vibrant. Full of life."

Rapunzel shrugged. "But... it's, like, how people are drawn to Jack. But he has more confidence. If you had some more confidence, I swear people would be worshipping at your feet." Elsa raised a brow. "I'm serious. Jack... well, he's got that coveted hair and eyes. And he's pale, too, like you. But that look is hot. So many of us are just tanned. Your look is rare and gorgeous. I'm serious."

Elsa shrugged, a small silly smile lighting up her face. "Wow, you really _are_ serious. Look at your face."

"Besides," Rapunzel continued, smile growing, "people like your shyness, too. Lots of people like that quality, Elsa."

Elsa shrugged. "That sucks," she said despondently.

Rapunzel raised a brow. "What?"

"I don't like be noticed," Elsa said softly, admitting one of her deepest fears. Maybe it was a small fear, but Elsa's face always burned at attention. She hated being in the spotlight and was perfectly content just being an average student. Academically wise, she wanted to be above average. Elsa snorted as she caught a glimpse of Jack's vibrant hair. "People like _that_ thrive and practically _live_ off attention. They need it like air."

Rapunzel tilted her head. "I suppose... you can see it that way. Of course, people like Jack... I think he's a lot more complicated than people give him credit for." Elsa snorted, and Rapunzel said, "I'm serious. I sort of know him. We're so-so friends. More like school-friends than actual friends that hang out, but I know him a bit. He doesn't let people in easily, and..."

"What? He's just _perfect?"_ Elsa said sarcastically.

"No," Rapunzel said slowly. "I think he knows how far he is from perfect." Elsa's frown grew. Jack Overland? _Far_ from perfect? Coming from Rapunzel, who seemed to worship him? The heck? "That's why he puts up the facade, Elsa. I think... I think he's _afraid."_ Afraid? There were a lot of adjectives to describe Jack but _afraid?_ Elsa stared, sheepish. "Afraid that if people knew he wasn't perfect..."

"But we _aren't_ perfect. We're only human," Elsa protested.

"I think he's scared of people _leaving_ him if they knew... and they sort of do, but it's easy to forget when you see how he carries himself," Rapunzel said. She glanced at Jack. "Look at him. Look at the way he carries himself. Confidently. People don't know how... deep he really is. I mean, in Mr. Pabbie's class... You've seen how he writes. People don't really know him. They know the surface him."

Elsa hesitated. Rapunzel didn't lie, not when it came to things like this. "Wow..." Elsa murmured softly. "I never thought of it like that."

"Not a lot of people think about it like that," Rapunzel said quietly.

Elsa frowned. "Then how do _you_ know?"

"Because..." Rapunzel hesitated. "We used to be close, me and Jack. We were close friends, and we started hanging out with different people. And we dated once, too, and after we broke up... it was awkward because we functioned better as friends. We grew distant." Rapunzel shrugged. "He won't let you know the real him. He won't let _strangers,_ people he doesn't _really_ trust."

Elsa shook her head. "Wow... I can't believe that."

Rapunzel shrugged. "We all have our demons, Elsa."

"You're not supposed to be this wise," Elsa murmured. "You're supposed to be... ridiculous and fun and vivacious."

Rapunzel smiled wisely. "A person can be more than one." Then, Rapunzel grinned happily and shoveled a ridiculously large bite of her donut as if their past conversation hadn't happened. Elsa frowned. Rapunzel was sort of like Jack, then. Rapunzel also had a surface facade... but also had a deeper side to her. Elsa knew that Rapunzel could be serious... but this was sort of... well, _shocking._

"Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel looked up. "Yes?"

Elsa hesitated. "I should really be telling Anna this first, but... I kind of... I don't know. I sort of still want to protect her." Elsa cast a tender look at where Anna sat. "She's my little sister." Rapunzel nodded, prompting Elsa without words to continue. Elsa took a deep breath. "Well, you know..." Elsa swallowed hard. "Yesterday, I left my phone in Jack's room because... well, my dad called. To tell me when my mom's funeral was going to be..."

Rapunzel's mouth fell open. Tears glistened in Rapunzel's eyes. "Oh my God, Elsa..."

"Yeah, I..." Elsa choked on her words. She squeezed her eyes shut. "And... I just..." Elsa's words failed her again.

"Oh my God..." Rapunzel repeated. She hugged Elsa gingerly, and Elsa felt tears cascade down her face. Elsa hastily wiped her tears away. Rapunzel shook her head. "Wow... I can't... can't believe. Wow... I mean, I argue with my parents all the time, but I love them to death. I can't... believe..." Rapunzel sniffled, turning away slightly. "Wow..."

"Yeah, I don't know how Anna will take it," Elsa mumbled. "I want to protect her."

Rapunzel bit her lip. "I... I don't know. I don't think you should tell Anna just right _now._ Maybe... later. When you can actually say it without melting down."

Elsa swallowed. "Thank you, Rapunzel." Her voice trembled. "I..."

"I get you. You want to be alone." Rapunzel's light green eyes were kind. "Go. But I'll be right here if you need me."

Elsa nodded, hoping her eyes conveyed her gratitude. Rapunzel must've understood because she nodded a little. Elsa left the table and headed towards the first place she thought of—the garden. She hadn't been there in a while. Even though it was probably a bad idea, she needed to feel the air against her flesh. She quickened her pace, feeling like she couldn't get away fast enough.

Elsa arrived, grateful that it was utterly devoid of people, grateful that—

Oh.

A scowl lit up Elsa's face immediately, like it was an immediate reaction. Elsa saw the back of his frosty white hair. He turned when she entered. Elsa crossed her arms, but the fight wasn't behind her actions. Jack watched her curiously, and Elsa remembered Rapunzel's words. Elsa sighed and headed over to a corner. She leaned against the railing and touched a flower blossom gently.

"You look like you've been through hell."

Elsa glanced over at him dryly. "Oh, that was _exactly_ what I was going for," she muttered sarcastically.

Jack glared. "Hell, Elsa, you're impossible."

Elsa crossed her arms. "Look who's talking," she muttered. "Seriously. Can you _get out?"_

"I was here _first,"_ Jack countered.

"Well, I was here second, which means that you've been here _longer._ So you should go leave and let me enjoy some peace and _quiet,"_ Elsa said, emphasizing the word 'quiet.' A scowl darkened Jack's face, and Elsa glared. She wished he would just leave her alone. She stared at her hands. Then, she looked up at him. "Seriously. What's it going to take for you to leave me alone?"

Jack looked frustrated. "Listen, Elsa—"

"No, I'm _not_ going to _listen, Jack,"_ Elsa snapped, mimicking his tone.

"What's your problem?" he demanded. "You go attack me when I've done nothing."

"What point of _I want to be alone_ don't you _get?"_

"Oh, I _get_ that," Jack snapped. "But we don't always get what we want, _Elsa Wynters._ Life has a way of throwing impossibilities at you. Just get over it like the rest of us. I'm not asking you to be fearless or anything." Jack snorted, disgusted. He edged away from her, leaning back against the railing. "People deal with grief all the time, Elsa."

"Sure, I _know,"_ Elsa snapped. "But it's not like that makes it any easier. Grief is grief."

"It's a useless emotion," Jack snapped. "But I wouldn't be surprised if your mother died to rid herself of _you."_

Something snapped inside Elsa.

 _"Don't you dare mention my mother! You don't even know her!"_ Elsa screamed. Tears streaked down her face. _"Get out, Jackson Overland,"_ she spat.

Jack's eyes widened. "You—"

 _"Get out! This truce is OVER!"_

Jack's eyes widened. This time, he didn't even argue. He just shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered out.

Alone, Elsa collapsed against a tree, sobbing and shaking.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Stupid!" Jack muttered to himself.

He had _seen_ it himself. He had seen Elsa hurting. Yet he had still pushed. He had pushed her, and he had seen the fury blazing across her face—it had transformed into grief of some sort. And sadness and regret. He knew without being Elsa or asking her that she was torturing herself with _what if_ questions. Jack felt like such a _jerk._ Even _she_ didn't deserve something like this.

Jack stared at his hands, frustrated. He trudged back into the cafeteria, shoving his hands into his pockets. He saw Rapunzel sitting in a corner. She caught his gaze steadily. Then, a frown crossed her lips. She stood up and walked towards him. She dragged him by the arm out the cafeteria. He didn't fight her. He braced himself for the yelling.

"What did you do to her?" Rapunzel snapped.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rapunzel," Jack snapped.

"Yes, you do," Rapunzel said, shoving his chest. She crossed her arms. For someone who was usually friendly and charismatic, it surprised Jack slightly to see Rapunzel so fierce and protective. "I know that look on your face—you did something, and you're the only one who..." Rapunzel lowered her voice. "The only one who knows about the funeral thing..."

Jack sighed but didn't respond.

Apparently, that was all Rapunzel needed.

"You _did_ do something!" Rapunzel accused, light green eyes blazing like an emerald fire. "What did you _do?"_

"I didn't mean to!" Jack snapped. "I didn't mean to yell at her and upset her, but it just... It just _happens._ She's... she's like _you."_ Rapunzel frowned, narrowing her eyes. Confusion joined her anger. Jack ran his hands through his hair frustratedly. "Elsa—she _sees_ me. Like... different from you... Different from how _you_ look at me. Yours is _knowing._ Everyone else is _oblivious._ But she... she _knows_ something."

"She..." Rapunzel hesitated.

 _Something happened, and I'm not going to like it._

"I told her that you held yourself like... all confident and stuff because you're afraid of people leaving you."

One, two, three... It sunk in.

 ** _"WHAT?!"_**

"It wasn't my fault! She deserved to know!" Rapunzel hissed. "She was so mad at you... and on top of everything... Seriously, Jack, leave her _alone."_

Jack glared. "You had no right!"

 _"You_ had no right," Rapunzel hissed. "You _know_ how people are. You can _tell_ how they feel. Jack... _please._ I mean, you _know_ what you're doing is _wrong._ What? Is it just because of Elsa that you're realizing? Is _she_ making you realize how far from perfect you are? Is she making you feel less than perfect about yourself? Because you're perfect in everyone else's eyes?"

Jack grimaced. "I'm not perfect in _your_ eyes."

"No, you aren't," Rapunzel said. "But it's not like I'm doing anything about it."

 _"Elsa's_ the one provoking me!"

"But she's new to this! She's shy! She's vulnerable! You don't have to make this worse for her, Jack!"

Jack blinked. "I'm _sorry,_ Rapunzel. I—"

"It's not _me_ you should be apologizing to."

Then, Rapunzel stalked out of the room, leaving Jack.

And then, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, Jack grabbed his phone out of his pocket and chucked it at the wall.

 **Behind Her Smile**

The truce was over. It was really over.

Jack wasn't sure what to think of this, but here he was, back at the library, waiting for Elsa.

Jack sort of didn't want her to come, but surely she would remember that they _still_ had a project to work on regardless of the truce. On one hand, Jack needed her to come because of the project. On the other hand, he didn't really want to see her. After his talk—or quarrel, really—with Rapunzel, Jack knew that he had to apologize to Elsa regardless of his _personal_ feelings. Elsa _was_ hurt, and Jack wasn't exactly considerate of her feelings.

He knew what it was like to feel low, and it _sucked._

Jack didn't think he hated her, not really. He was intrigued by her, he was confused by her, and more often than not he was pissed at her. But still, regardless of his personal feelings, being around someone who was depressed was... for lack of better word _depressing._ Not to mention annoying. Of course, he was still contemplating how to apologize. Should he just outright say it? What did girls think about it, anyway? He wasn't a girl. He didn't know any better.

And Elsa was _different,_ which made everything contradictory.

Would a funeral really affect Elsa? Well, funerals would affect everyone if they were close. And a mother and daughter. Yeah, Elsa's mother's funeral? Mhm, that was bound to leave a mark, bound to leave a scar—a scar that couldn't be seen. A scar on the heart, if you will. Jack touched his own heart absentmindedly. He shook his emotions back. _Get it together, Jack._

Jack sighed. Was she coming or _not?_ If she wasn't, Jack didn't want to stay in this library.

But, after a billion years (note the sarcasm), the girl came. Her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes were dark. She walked forward and didn't even sit down. Instead, she handed him some papers filled with her neat handwriting. Then, she turned to leave. Jack frowned, dumbstruck. He glanced at the papers in front of him. Then, he quickly shoved them in his pack and stood up, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Wait!"

"Not _you two!"_

Jack turned, feeling fear creep through him as he saw the _beyond_ _ancient_ librarian who drew purple monkeys which drove Jack abso-freaking-lutely _nuts_ because, well, _who did that?_

Jack hurried out of the library after Elsa, who stalked out. She sure walked fast. Or maybe she was just trying to get away from him. Jack quickened his pace and put a hand on her shoulder, twisting her around towards him. Surprise followed by resignation filled her eyes. It was a sad look, really, but instead of smirking or feeling gleeful, Jack felt sick and twisted.

"Elsa, I..." The words choked up in his throat.

"What do you want?" Even her _words_ were depressing.

"Elsa, it's just..." Jack scratched the back of his neck. "We... we're supposed to work on the project," he said weakly.

She shook her head. "It's been a long day. Besides..." She gestured towards his pack. "You have those papers already. You can go edit them or something... Just please... I wanna get some rest, okay?" She sighed. She stopped. "Rapunzel told me she talked to you..." Elsa hesitated. "Never mind. Bye." She turned around and started walking away.

"I'm sorry!" he cried out. Her slim figure froze, but she didn't turn around. "I don't know what else I can say, but can you _stop?_ Stop acting so _depressed?_ I don't know why, but it's driving me _nuts!_ Elsa..." She turned around this time. He saw a twisted smile on her lips. Then, she started _laughing._ Not the amused kind. The hysterical kind. Tears streaked down her face.

She stepped forward and slapped him.

His eyes widened. His mouth fell open, but no words came out. "I'm sorry," he whispered weakly. "I shouldn't have pushed you... when you were... grieving."

She pursed her lips and sighed. "Can we just... forget about the play for a while? I gave you enough work to last a few days..."

Of _course_ she wasn't going to forgive him. Jack didn't know why he wanted _one person_ to forgive him so much, but he did, and it was just driving him absolutely _nuts._ He watched her walk away. Her stride was a little more confident. He frowned. She was so _confusing._ Of course, all girls were confusing, but her confusing blew everyone else's confusing out of the water.

Jack headed back to his room and placed his pack down on his bed. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. Then, feeling rather restless, he gazed up at the ceiling without really seeing. Elsa was... _different._ She didn't treat him like he was king of the world... But, in a twisted way, she was a good enemy. Jack had his fair share of enemies, but they didn't fight back—not in the way Elsa did.

Jack didn't want to be friends with her or anything like that, but he didn't exactly want to keep bickering with her...

Right?

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _Why? Why? Why?_

A million thoughts swarmed through Elsa's mind. Why did Jack— _Jack Overland_ —apologize to her? Why did he look so _... devastated?_ Why did it bother her so much? Why did he keep trying to apologize? He must be trying to rid himself the guilt, so he could feel like he was perfect and all. Yes, that _had_ to be the reason. Any other reason didn't make sense.

But then why did he seem so _sincere?_

Elsa wasn't sure what his gaze was saying, but his face didn't say, _you're falling for my trap._ His face was deeper and... something else. She didn't recognize the emotion. On any other person, she would've said he looked regretful... But could _Jackson Overland_ feel regret? It didn't seem possible, which brought Elsa back to square one. Ugh. Why was everything so frustrating? Why did Jack have to confuse her so much?

Elsa wiped tears away from her eyes and sighed. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face was completely devoid of makeup. There was barely any pigment in her pale cheeks except for a slight barely there flush. Her long-lashed blue eyes were fearful and vulnerable. Elsa looked as vulnerable as she felt. Just _great._

With a sigh, Elsa took a ginger seat on her bed.

But Elsa had ended the truce. It had been instinctive, and Elsa knew it had been her lashing out in the heat of her anger and loss.

Anger raged through Elsa. Why was she so weak? Why couldn't she be stronger? She stared at her hands, feeling so _lost._ Elsa scowled. She didn't _want_ to feel weak. She _hated_ and _utterly despised_ feeling so helpless. It was the worst feeling in the world because she would just end up regretting some more. What good did it do? To worry and worry about all the possible maybes in the worlds.

Elsa curled up in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She wrapped herself in blankets, shivering but not from the cold. On the contrary, it was quite warm. It was the ache in Elsa's chest that told her that she was shivering from grief. Her body was simply letting go of the day's stress. She sighed softly, trying to find salvation within her soul. She felt so... helpless.

Elsa stared at the ceiling. All of her worries curled up in her chest, and she felt that if she jumped into a waterfall, she would drown because of the stones of worries and dreads and lies within her. Well, maybe not the last one... Well, kind of. Elsa didn't really _lie._ She just... didn't really tell the full truth. But if people asked her, she would answer as honestly as she could.

She had yet to tell Anna about the funeral news. She had already told Rapunzel...

That probably wasn't the wisest choice—but hell even _Jack_ knew already. Besides, Elsa desperately wanted somebody to talk to... Somebody who might remotely understand what she was going through. Rapunzel was rather like a diamond—beautiful, strong... Rapunzel had a lot of facets, sides, to her, like that of a diamond. Of _course_ Elsa would want to talk to Rapunzel.

But at the same time, Elsa couldn't rid herself of the guilt of not telling Anna—her blood sister—first. It seemed wrong on so many levels, that _Jack_ and _Rapunzel_ would know but not her own sister. Elsa curled up in bed, feeling very small. _Tomorrow,_ she promised herself. _Tomorrow, I'll tell Anna. I won't lie to her anymore. I'll tell her and be strong for the most of us._

 _Tomorrow will be a better day,_ Elsa thought. _I won't let anything get to me... I have to be... strong._

And Elsa closed her eyes, regretting some more.

* * *

 **QotD: What's one thing you regret?  
**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, it's Darky! Wow, I just wrote. Did this one in a few hours of the day. I pushed through my writer's block and did this. I feel a little better though I'm not sure what inspired. A lot of HM/MC songs, _My Way_ (The Girl and the Dreamcatcher), and _Black and White_ (Megan Davies) probably got me through this chapter. So why don't you go check those awesome songs and artists out? xDDD  
**

 **So... I have some news. Probably not doing much good for _this_ story, but... I'm starting the sequel to _SILS_ , a Hannah Montana (Niley) fanfiction I have. I know I should be devoting all my time to _Behind Her Smile_ , but I just... I wanted to start the sequel. I want to post it on May 11th, and if you guys are fans of MC, you should know that her new single _Malibu_ is coming out that day. She's turned a new leaf, and I can't wait to hear it! That's why...**

 **But... well, considering I wrote this entire chapter in a few hours of one day, I think I can still manage one update a month... Pretty sure. But if I don't... eh, I don't know. But I guess I wanted to write this all up because I have testing next week at school and wanted to get this chapter over with. Huh, seems like I'm doing so-so at doling out monthly chapters. Well, this is the chapter for May. You never know: I might surprise you and update sooner, before the next month.  
**

 **Thank you everyone who's been reading my story. I _do_ love this story, and I _will_ eventually finish it. It'll just take time. Let's hope not that much time. Sorry if there are any mistakes.  
**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	6. Believe Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Believe Me  
**

* * *

 **"I always thought I would sink, so I never swam.** **I never went boatin', don't get how they are floatin'.** **And sometimes I get so scared of what I can't understand." - Excerpt from _Malibu,_ Miley Cyrus  
**

* * *

 **A/N: So...I'm not dead.  
**

 **I don't even know why this took so long. I literally had 4/5 of the chapter done. My excuse: life. A lot of somewhat depressing, some actually physically painful (if you know the difference between emotional and physical) stuff, and some other stuff. Let's not take so long to update next time! I want to get another chapter up before summer ends, thank you very much.  
**

 **It's official: I have planned for this book to have twenty chapters (at least)! I have a personal outline for each of the chapters, so I should have no problem on what will happen in the story. Now, if you want to see how I do these chapters, well, I divide the chapter into four 2500 word parts. Each part centers around something different.  
**

 **Haha, you get to delve into the dangerous thing I like to call my mind! First, I have a little small outline and chapter title. Then, I cut the outline and put more information in. Then, I write. I just personally find it easier to write 2500 word chapters - except really, I'm just making it to different parts. Could you tell? Ugh, and I can't stop listening to Miley Cyrus's _Malibu_! Go check it out if you haven't! It almost has a country-ish vibe!** **  
**

 **When I first heard** **it...** This is certainly different... Like... _very_ different.

 **After 138472387027 replays...** THE SKY'S SO BLUE IN MALIBU!

 **Actually, when I first listened/watched the video, I was grinning like a fool because the video was just AMAZING! I swear, my mouth was just STUCK that way.**

 **So, yes, if you guessed that I'm listening to it currently, you are CORRECT. But you know, after I got over the shock of how utterly DIFFERENT it was from her amazing _Bangerz_ album, I was like, DAYUM, THIS SONG IS ACTUALLY PRETTY CHILL. Then, I was like, _okay, time to update my fanfiction profile on that favorite song thing._**

 **And when I heard it on the radio, I freaked out and was like "AHHHHHH! IT'S MALIBU!" But OMG, that music video was just GORGEOUS! She had her favorite dog Emu and everything! She looked just like a perfect angel with her brunette and platinum locks and those gorgeous white outfits she wore! I especially liked it when she braided her hair into one long braid. It was just so GORGEOUS. I legit spent hours of my life (no regrets!) rewatching that video!  
**

 **Now, why did I tell you this story? Because...um, I used it for the QotC.**

 **Okay... I'm done fan-girling. Enjoy.**

* * *

The universe seemed to have a way of doing that exact _opposite_ of what Elsa wanted. It was like it personally listened to her thoughts _just_ to do the opposite!

Not _only_ did Elsa now dread waking up every morning to face another hard day of school, she still had the whole funeral thing weighing over her. She _still_ hadn't told Anna, which was killing her, but she cared too much about her little sister to hurt her—and Elsa had been protecting Anna for the better part of her life. She couldn't just... couldn't just _tell_ Anna. She couldn't just _crush_ Anna's dreams just like that.

Which _seriously_ wasn't helping her.

Elsa stared at her hands, which were curled up in fists. _Ugh._ She just wanted to _die._ Okay, not literally, but you know the feeling you get when you just feel like there's so much on your plate that's it's just overflowing, and you're just like _UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ every single day? Yep, that was the incredible _apt_ definition of how she was feeling. Things would just be put on overload, and she would just want to scream or destroy something.

Jack's face? A very tempting target.

Elsa honestly didn't really keep track of days anymore. It all just seemed like some silly routine—like she was on auto-pilot or something. Rapunzel was always concerned because that was just how she was, and Elsa didn't try to reassure the girl or anything. Elsa's life seemed like some blackening hole where she just simply could _not_ escape. The cavernous hole of deception was always hanging behind her, closer than her own shadow.

There were so many things she was constantly worrying about, the funeral and telling Anna was at the very top of that list.

Elsa didn't _want_ to tell Anna, but she knew she had to. Eventually. Elsa sometimes wondered if Anna was just simply stronger than she gave her credit for. Maybe Anna _was_ because...why wouldn't she be? But maybe it was just because Elsa was too weak to tell her little sister horrible thing. Ugh, what a dilemma. Elsa was already losing sleep over this.

Why couldn't she just stop being a coward?

Elsa was quite ashamed of her own cowardice, but what could she possibly do? Telling Anna seemed out of the question—for now—and besides, the academy had a bunch of tests coming up, and Elsa had to study up or risk flunking out of the prestigious school—a very _real_ possibility. She wished the names of famous people and dates could come so easily to her. Did she want to study about the Romans or Mayans? No, but she _had_ to.

Ugh. It was times like those when Elsa desperately wished for a photographic memory.

Maybe wishing was for losers—especially since Elsa was pretty sure you had to be born with a photographic memory; it just didn't work to force your brain to act like a computer that was just _fabricated_ to memorize _anything_ —but it was pretty much the thing that kept Elsa from completely falling apart. Wishing almost gave her a twisted sort of hope—never mind how twisted, it was hope, and that was something.

Elsa wasn't sure exactly what she was doing with life. She felt like she was just going through the motions. It didn't feel very real to her, but what did it matter anyway? School definitely sucked, but it could be worse. Because when you had a good thing, it could always be ruined—always be destroyed. Trust Elsa, she learned from personal experience.

Of course, another thing was Jack.

He was still his stupid foolish self, and that infuriated Elsa to levels she didn't even think were possible. He seemed to try to mess up her life—'accidentally-on-purpose' knock over her books, trip her when no one was looking, deliberately call attention to her because he knew she hated the attention, tell teachers to ask her for the answer when she clearly did _not_ know the answer.

Jack was, to be blunt, a monster.

He was just a bad person—and worst of all, he got away with it. It was like the teachers were blind—or perhaps even scared of Jack, which was _ridiculous_ considering they could just expel him or something—or just ignored everything Jack did. It reminded Elsa, again, why they could never be friends despite Mr. Pabbie's compliments on how well they wrote together.

Mr. Pabbie was really the one encouraging them on a friendship. Elsa would promptly ignore him whenever he turned to the subject because _why the hell would she even consider being friends with someone as obnoxious as Jackson Overland?_ Mr. Pabbie didn't seem to understand this—despite how smart he was—but hey, since when did teachers—or grownups, really—understand the way a 16 year old teenage girl's brain worked?

It was like they didn't even notice his ridiculously gelled hair—oh wait. There _was_ that one moment when Mr. Sandstone joked, "God, Jack, there's enough gel in your hair to create a whole thousand acres!" Jack had—shamelessly, might she add—soaked up all the attention in his devil-may-care way with that stupid smirk on his face that said that he owned the world.

Grr. He made her so mad she often thought of different forms of torture she'd rather endure.

And strangely, he seemed to get good grades, which she heard from Rapunzel who had heard it from Tiana who had heard it from Naveen. That was incredibly _shocking_ considering how much she assumed he worked on his hair or snarky comments or whatever. Jack seemed to like shocking people—that was another thing she had learned. He would always smirk.

She swore, the day he was born he smirked.

She pitied to poor fools who were his parents unless it was _because_ of his parents that Jack turned out so horrible. He hated that he took up such a huge fraction of her mind because of how much he _bothered_ her, and she hated that she was utterly helpless to do anything about it. It was astonishing how much she could someone in such a sort amount of time, but apparently, Jack could allegedly make miracles.

The play was another thing.

The play was very demanding, and Mr. Pabbie expected a lot from them. The premise of the play was that there was a girl, who hid behind a smile, and a boy who was going to help her break out of her shell. Elsa hated the plot line, but it was too late to change it now. She had to come up with names with Jack, and they had decided, albeit hesitantly, on the names. The girl was Crystal (which Elsa would've protested on but gave up because she didn't want to waste her breath arguing), and the guy was Frost.

Mr. Pabbie had forced them—by seriously threatening with their grades and stuff, so they had no choice—but to audition, and surprise, surprise, they were cast as the main characters. Mr. Pabbie had said something about because they were already used to each other and because they were practically used to the characters and all, but Elsa knew that Mr. Pabbie secretly just wanted them to get along— _of course_ he would notice the glares they shot each other's way in class.

Of course, Elsa had argued with a huge explanation on why she could _not_ play her role. She had argued that there were so many better, more _experienced,_ actresses that really wanted the part and people who actually _liked_ working with Jack, which probably wasn't the wisest thing to say considering she had implied that she hated Jack's guts, but Mr. Pabbie already knew that, so what the heck? But _no,_ Mr. Pabbie all but forced her to take the script and rehearse it. Rehearsal hadn't started yet—they had yet to memorize their lines and whatnot—because production of the set and costumes was still taking place, but they were due to rehearse very soon. Mr. Pabbie just had to give the call.

Torturous, but what choice did Elsa really have?

Rapunzel, ironically, had also been cast as a part—which made things a hell of a lot more bearable. Rapunzel played the girl named _Stella,_ who in the story hated Frost's guts. Rapunzel swore up and down that she could do the part well, and Elsa was pleasantly surprised that Rapunzel was _quite_ a good actress...which got Elsa to thinking that maybe Rapunzel had hidden lots of parts to her. Rapunzel and Elsa rehearsed their lines, and it was pretty fun that half the time, Elsa forgot she had to do the play with _Jack._

Rapunzel, of course, did her best to convince Elsa that Jack 'wasn't that bad,' but Elsa wasn't having it and would just tune Rapunzel's voice out whenever her friend decided to discuss the topic. Perhaps the gesture was rude but so was poking her nose where it didn't belong. Rapunzel, of course, would usually tease Elsa on it afterwards, and Elsa would groan because as much as she loved Rapunzel and started to think of her like a sister, she honestly thought the girl ought to be pulled into line a little.

And Elsa was also, quite frankly, sick of lying.

Maybe she wasn't lying directly, but pretending that she was happy when all she wanted to do was scream certainly crossed the mark of dishonesty. Not exactly lying, not exactly telling the truth. It irked her, irked her so much that she had to hide behind a smile, but people didn't realize anything was wrong—not that a lot of people had any reason to care, but oh well.

Sometimes, it was more unbearable than other times, but Elsa would just try to convince herself that it was just a phase, that everyone went through this, but she knew deep down that it was wrong, and she was better than this, but what else could she do? She wasn't like Rapunzel, who could charm her way into anyone's hearts just like that. She wasn't like Anna, who just had a likeable, charismatic personality that just drew people towards her. She wasn't even like _Jack_ (not that she would want to be, but she liked the way he was confident, a quality she wished she could acquire).

It was excruciating to keep that smile on her face, but that was what everyone else wanted, she supposed. She had read a quote from somewhere, though: _"_ _To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."_ The quote was by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was an American essayist, and Elsa breathed in the quote, wishing she could live like that, but she was scared, and that terrified her, too. Everything seemed so messed up, but compared to everything else, what was a little more jar of problems when you always have problems?

Smiling had grown so second-nature to Elsa that it took her just a second to have one on her face. It was easier and more painful all at once to put that grotesque smile on her face, but she was so used to it that she couldn't remember the last time she had _really_ smiled, the last time she felt true and pure happiness. The academy, despite all its class and elegance, was seriously putting a damper on her moods, and Elsa really wanted to quit feeling the numbness she was so accustomed to.

Again, Elsa wished she was stronger—mentally.

Sometimes, it was easier when Elsa was with people. Sometimes, it was easier when she was alone because she could let down her walls for a brief moment of solace before putting the back up. Sometimes, it was easier because sometimes, it was easier to pretend her world wasn't falling apart. It was easier to pretend because that way, it seemed like maybe that would be true.

She remembered it all too well, but perhaps it just took time.

She hoped that was true. But she also thought that that was too much to hope for.

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _I really hate the sun._

That was Jack Overland's first thought when he woke up. His second was: _why the hell do we even need a sun? Why not...a ball of light that_ — _oh, screw it, that's the same thing as a sun. Grr.  
_

Long story short, he wasn't having the best morning.

To make matters worse, his hair was a mess. Jack sighed. Better to sacrifice food than a bad hair day. Jack glanced at himself in the mirror. His hair was messy and unruly, and he ran a hand through the paler-than-platinum locks. His reflection stared back sympathetically, and Jack felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Nevertheless, Jack smoothed his hair as best as he could.

Jack sighed and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He opened the doors to his balcony and took a whiff of fresh air. Something fresh filled his nostrils—like a berry or something. It smelled distinctly fruity and sweet but with a splash of tanginess. It was almost tarty. Jack wondered if the academy was serving it as some sort of breakfast or something.

A speaker sounded (the academy had speakers rigged everywhere), which said: _Good morning, students of Rosethorn Academy. Tonight, we will have a feast to celebrate all the hard work you have done. Winter Break starts after classes are over! Enjoy your week off. You will get a reminder for when school starts. Students are allowed to leave the academy but can still stay. Talk to Fairy Godmother for more details._

Jack smiled. He had nearly forgotten about the Winter Break. A well deserved break, if you asked him. And, of course, there was also the feast. Feast meals were always the best. The food was yummier, and they also had a specialty made for dessert: _Boston cream pie._ Basically, the dessert (which, contradictory to its name, was a cake) was your favorite sweet treat—and then multiplied by a million. _That_ was how good the cake was. Jack had once tried to steal the recipe—but, undoubtedly, failed. He had managed to get off with a warning (evidently, he wasn't the only student who had tried), but Fairy Godmother had warned him if he tried again, he would get no cake.

The threat of no dessert had made him comply.

Jack wondered about the feast. Last year, the academy had made some gumbo (which was, surprisingly, _delicious)_ and some lobster along with other side dishes. Jack was amazed at how much food the academy could prepare—and how delicious it all was. The food was _seriously_ awesome, but no one had ever nagged a recipe. It was sort of annoying, but it made everyone long for feast nights.

Of course, it was like the weekends—if you had them _all_ the time...well, things would definitely be different. You would get sick of eating your favorite dish for every meal if it went that way, too, so the feast was as much a curse as a gift. But the food definitely made everything worth it. Jack was friends with some of the servers, and the servers would always reach his table first. It was quite an accomplishment.

Jack decided that he couldn't do anything more for his hair and just headed out the door grumpily. No one would probably notice anything different, but Jack would. True enough, when Jack entered the cafeteria, no one noticed. His friends waved him over, and Jack waved and sauntered over, winking at a couple of girls he vaguely recalled having classes with or something. The girls then argued over who he had winked at.

Yep, life was awesome.

Jack sat down at his usual table, nodding at his friends.

"Yo, man," Charm said, grinning. His dark hair was in a stylishly messy way, and his dark eyes looked almost amber in the light. He was wearing his Rosethorn Academy uniform, that was a given, and a smirk was plastered on his face. "Feast night," Charm declared, smirk widening. A mischievous glint lit up his eyes. "You remember the last one, Jack?"

Jack snorted. "Of course. Eric, here, couldn't hold his lunch—and boom, all over his food."

"That wasn't my fault!" Eric protested. "You guys _made_ me drink all that soda—and you know my stomach doesn't work well with it."

"Excuses, excuses," Jack said dismissively.

Naveen looked smug. "Ah, but they say that this feast will blow the last one _out of the water."_ Naveen rested his chin in a hand and grabbed an apple, taking a ridiculously large chomp in it. Then, he drank some coke. It was amazing how Naveen could fit so much of the drink in his big mouth, but considering Naveen's track record, perhaps Jack shouldn't have been surprised. "Whadda you think, Overland?"

Jack smirked. "As long as they still serve Boston cream pie, I don't care. Screw everything else."

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Hans cleared his throat and boomed, "And a whole week off! I'm going skiing in the north with my parents." Hans cracked all the knuckles in his left hand. "And snowboarding, too," Hans added. "Got my own gear—it's been a while since I last snowboarded, but it's going to be awesome. I'd offer to send some pictures—you guys would miss me too much—but you guys would be _begging_ for them, no offer needed."

Flynn scoffed. "Yeah, alright. Well, I'm staying _right here."_

Hans stuck his tongue out at Flynn. "No-lifer."

"Yeah, as to you who will break his neck attempting to ski," Flynn retorted sharply.

"Same team, everyone," Naveen remarked. There was an awkward silence in the air—then, everyone burst out laughing, tension gone.

Jack smirked. "Same team? Where do you _get_ these words?"

"Um..." Naveen cleared his throat. _"You."_

Jack's smirk turned frosty. "You might want to rethink that— _fast."_

Naveen crossed his arms, playing along. "Yeah...I don't think so."

Jack let a cocky smirk relax on his face, and he caught a flash of fear in Naveen's dark eyes. Naveen knew that Jack had won this battle, they all knew it. Jack laughed and stole a donut from Flynn, who opened his mouth to protest but shut it a moment later, clearly rethinking it. Jack took a ridiculously large bite of the donut, nearly eating half of it in that one bite.

Three donuts later... "Got any more?" he joked to Flynn.

Flynn raised a brow skeptically. "You just practically inhaled three donuts. How can you possibly fit more?"

"Yeah, how is that even possible?" Charm remarked. "It exceeds human nature."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly what you call a 'normal human,'" Jack said smugly. He drank some milk—that was actually probably his favorite drink (but only when it was cold). There was nothing else like a cold glass of milk on a hot day—or a regular day. Milk was _heaven,_ but it tasted odd with everything that _wasn't_ cookies. Of course, Jack had probably indulged in one too many cookies in his lifetime.

Flynn grinned. Then, his grin faded, and his gaze landed on a table at the other side of the room. Jack followed Flynn's gaze. He knew immediately what was bothering Flynn. Rapunzel sat on that side, cheerful and bubbly and so _Rapunzel._ Last Jack had heard, the two weren't on very good terms, and by 'not very good terms,' he meant that Rapunzel wanted to rip Flynn's head off.

Jack really didn't blame Rapunzel. Flynn had sung a duet with Ariel, who was Rapunzel's friend, without Rapunzel's seal of consent. Flynn fooled around a lot, but Jack knew that he really did care about Rapunzel. It was just...sometimes, Flynn did all those stunts just to see how much Rapunzel _really_ cared. And so far, mostly, Rapunzel had shown anger more than anything.

Which led to Flynn sulking all the time.

"Rapunzel still ignoring you?" Jack murmured.

Flynn shrugged. "She won't listen to me. She ignores me. I even ditched class to crash hers, but she acted like she _liked_ the teacher's boring lecture." Flynn smirked. "I sure gave the class a pleasant surprise from Mr. Boring"—Jack chuckled, wondering which teacher Flynn had put as 'Mr. Boring'—"but she acted like..." Flynn's smile faded, and the frustration was evident in his eyes. "I just want to talk to her."

Jack shrugged. "Rapunzel...she's an interesting one."

Flynn's eyes gleamed. "Do you think _you_ could possibly talk to her? For me?"

Jack groaned. "Why _me?"_

"Because, one, you know her, and two, I'm your best friend, and you owe me ever since I helped you sneak that stink bomb into Han's—"

"— _would you keep it down?"_ Jack hissed. "Fine. I'll talk to her—but I'm not making any promises," Jack warned.

Flynn smiled happily. "That's good enough for me."

Jack stood up and walked over to Rapunzel's table—before he realized that Rapunzel was blatantly absent. The girls closest to Jack immediately gushed at him, and he winked. "No time to talk, ladies," he told them, and they let out slightly disappointed sighs but were quick to reassure him that it was no problem. Jack almost smirked. Almost. "But where's your friend Rapunzel? Long hair, about this high." Jack made an extremely inaccurate gesture at how tall he thought Rapunzel one.

Aurora grinned. "She's over there." The girl gestured towards a different table. Jack recognized Rapunzel's long hair.

"Thanks," Jack said, winking again.

As he walked away, he heard Belle gush, "He is the _hottest_ thing _ever!"_ There were murmurs of agreement, and Jack smirked. His smirk faded as he saw that Rapunzel wasn't alone. By Rapunzel was none other than Elsa _Solange_ Wynters, as Jack had to remember to call her...and beside them was...oh, the girl that was the most _talkative_ person Jack had _ever_ seen. Anna Wynters.

"Why did you drag me over here if you weren't going to say anything?" Anna was saying, obviously irritated.

"Anna—" Elsa started.

"— _Elsa,"_ Anna whined, interrupting whatever Elsa was going to say. "Ariel was about to tell me about the time she hit a seagull with a rock!"

Jack blinked blankly. Were girls always like this?

"Anna," Rapunzel said sternly, which surprised Jack. He had never thought of Rapunzel as a stern sort of person. Rapunzel touched the younger girl's arm lightly, a slightly sympathetic look enraptured in her face. Jack turned back to his table and saw Flynn watching, eyes narrowed. Flynn was too far away to hear anything, but he shot Jack a puzzled look. Jack shrugged back. The three girls didn't notice him yet—of course, he didn't directly approach them yet either.

 _"What?"_ Anna whined.

Elsa inhaled sharply, a frustrated look on her face that Jack was very accustomed to. Elsa often wore that expression around him. "Anna, please just listen, okay?" Elsa said weakly. "I can't repeat this again...I just..." Elsa sighed and closed her eyes a little. When she opened them again, there was a frantic, almost panicked look in her eyes. "Anna, Dad told me when the funeral was going to happen."

"So wha—?" Anna broke off her words as the words sunk in. Then, horror pooled into her eyes. "W-w- _what?"_

 _Alas,_ Jack thought, _the ever-so-talkative girl finally shuts up._

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa whispered as her sister stumbled weakly towards her, hugging her. Rapunzel joined in the Wynters sisters' embrace, and Jack felt his palm heat. Jack Overland didn't feel awkward a lot—it was safe to say that this was _not_ one of those times. He felt his face burn, and he felt like he was intruding on a private moment—which, he kind of _was,_ but that wasn't exactly relevant right now.

Then, Anna whimpered, "I-I-I..."

Jack felt guilty, and he wasn't sure why.

"I have to go," Anna rushed out the words, and she ran off. Wow, that girl sure could run when she wanted to.

Now, without the distraction of Anna, Elsa and Rapunzel finally noticed him as he stepped up. Elsa's expression immediately changed from 'grieving sister' to 'angry _oh-you-don't-want-to-mess-with-me_ Snow Queen.' Rapunzel frowned, but she didn't immediately glare either. Elsa crossed her arms and stepped forward, obviously taken aback at his slight frown. "What do you _want?"_ she snapped.

"Actually, I'm here to talk to Rapunzel," Jack said, leaving out the part that Flynn was the one that made him do it. Somehow, he knew that Rapunzel would refuse if she knew that part. Elsa's fierce glare didn't lessen or anything, but she must've realized that she had no real say in this anymore. Being friends with Rapunzel only went so far. Jack shot a pleading look at Rapunzel.

A sigh gusted out of Rapunzel's lips. "Five minutes," she said tightly, crossing her arms. "Go comfort your sister, Else, I'll get you if he's bothering me."

Elsa hesitated. She looked conflicted. Then, she sighed. "Fine." She left.

Jack watched Rapunzel. She regarded him with a cool, almost disappointed expression, light green eyes expectant. Jack clasped his hands together and said, "Listen, I need to talk to you about..." He lowered his voice though no one was really listening in on their conversation. No one was really paying attention—except for Flynn, but Flynn wasn't in earshot. Jack breathed out the name: "Flynn."

"No," Rapunzel responded adamantly.

Jack swore inwardly. "Rapunzel, just hear me out, okay? I'm not here to vouch for him or anything..."

Rapunzel sighed, lips in a tight line. "Why?"

"You said I have five minutes," Jack reminded her hopefully.

Rapunzel sighed, obviously frustrated. "Four minutes. Start talking," she ordered.

Jack didn't waste another second. "He's miserable." Rapunzel's expression turned skeptical. "I'm serious," Jack continued. "Listen, Rapunzel, sometimes, we—we being us guys—do stupid things to test the people we like." Rapunzel's gaze flashed at that, but at least she didn't interrupt her—or worse, walk away. He breathed a silent prayer of relief and continued. "That's what he was doing. Flynn—but he's an idiot, and he—"

"Jack," Rapunzel interrupted, "you know, it _does_ sound you're vouching for him."

"I just want you to talk to him," Jack pleaded. "I know you don't really want to hear it from me."

Rapunzel sighed. "You're right..."

"So you'll give him another chance?"

"I'll hear him out," Rapunzel said warningly. "But Jack, you have to promise me that you'll lay off Elsa." Jack's expression darkened, and Rapunzel crossed her arms. "She has enough going on in her life, okay? She doesn't need your pathetic attitude on top of it." Jack scowled, and Rapunzel held out her hand. "Deal or no deal?" she challenged, her light green eyes flaring.

Jack eyed her hand. _This better be worth it. Flynn better not mess this up._ "Deal," he grumbled sullenly, shaking her hand.

"And don't even _think_ about lying to me," Rapunzel warned.

"I know," Jack grumbled.

Rapunzel stalked away, and Jack called back, "That wasn't four minutes!" Then, he headed back to his own table. He shoved Flynn. "You owe me big time."

The rest of the day went relatively easy, and Jack got no homework—the teachers looked pretty relieved, too. Jack guessed that the teachers didn't want to grade anything to day they got back from vacation—who would _want_ to? The feast rolled by, and the tables in the cafeteria were arranged differently. There were assigned seats and everything, which Jack thought was _supremely_ unfair, but hey, as long as he was getting the food, he didn't care. Much.

Jack was seated between Snow White and...

"Oh, man, they totally did that on purpose," Flynn snickered as he caught sight of who was seated next to Jack.

Jack glared. "I know, right? I bet Rapunzel did this. And hey! She's on this table, too—this is so unfair!" Jack complained.

"I wish I was sitting at that table," Flynn said jealously. "I didn't get the chance to talk to her today."

"Ugh," Jack grumbled. "The food _better_ be worth it."

Jack took a seat begrudgingly and glanced at his nails, bored. He only turned to his side when there was a very loud groan next to him. He noticed Elsa, who was staring at her name. She glared at him, obviously miserable, but sat down, being the goody-two-shoes she was. Finally, through pursed lips, she said, "Don't talk to me, and I won't talk to you."

"No problem," Jack muttered. "I had no intentions of talking to you."

Food came soon, which was a very much welcomed distraction. First came some crisply-cooked chicken slathered with some tangy-smelling sauce. There were some spices in the chicken, and steam rose faintly in the air. The smell of chicken rose in the air, and everyone dug into their food. Jack sliced up his chicken with extra gusto and ate happily. _Mmm, chicken._

Almost as soon as he was mopping up the last of the chicken, the dish was replaced by a salmon-colored soup that tasted incredibly delicious. There was also some bread that went with the soup. The bread was just as delicious as the soup, and Jack ate with a great appetite. He caught Flynn's gaze from across the room. Flynn winked before digging into his soup.

Empty bowls of soup were picked up, and a plate of vegetables was set in front of each student. Jack raised a brow at the rainbow of vegetables. There was corn and tomatoes and zucchini and some other things. Jack was never fond of vegetables, but he knew that the academy's feast meals were always better. He ate the vegetables tentatively first, until he realized how delicious they were. He ate happily.

"Boston cream pie!" a voice announced.

Knives and forks clinked against each other, and a nervous tension filled the room. Jack turned and saw servers holding huge platters of the dessert. A slice of the cake was put in front of each student. Jack noticed Elsa frowning at it. She poked at it a little. "Why are you just staring at it?" Jack hissed, who had already demolished half of his cake. "If you don't want it, everyone _else_ here would be willing to rip each other apart to get a second slice."

Elsa bit her lip. "What is this?"

 _"What is this?"_ Jack echoed. _"What is this?_ This is Boston cream pie, the most delicious dessert in the history of desserts! I mean"—Jack scoffed—"if you enjoyed the other dishes, even the vegetables (which even _I_ enjoyed, so there should be no reason you shouldn't), then this is even _better."_ Jack snorted. "But if you don't want it...I'll be happy to take it off your hands."

Elsa examined the cake. Then, she smiled. "It's almost too pretty to eat." Jack raised a brow at her comment. He glanced at her cake. It was filled with custard cream and topped with chocolate glaze. Jack felt his mouth hang open slightly. He _really_ wanted that cake. Elsa took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened as the sweetness exploded on her tongue. "Wow," she breathed.

Jack smirked. "I was right, right? Your favorite dessert times a billion!"

Elsa grinned. "I wonder what's the recipe."

"Don't try to steal it—there will be _serious_ consequences," Jack warned. He smirked. "Believe me, I've tried it before."

She groaned. "Why am I surprised?"

Jack smiled. Then, he felt his palms heat up. For a moment there, they hadn't even been arguing. Jack was surprised at how it gave him a warm feeling. He wondered if it was just because they were having an upcoming break. He still felt the warmth of the Boston cream pie in his stomach. He got up and fell into line with Naveen as everyone began to exit the room.

"Was that pie amazing, or was it _amazing?"_ Naveen grinned.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Now, we have to wait, like, a billion years until we have another feast," Jack groaned. "I seriously want that recipe."

"Tut, tut, Mr. Overland, you wouldn't want a repeat of last time, would you?"

Jack smirked at Tiana. "Yeah, well, it was all for the greater good—plus, I wasn't even expelled or anything." Jack glanced at Naveen and Tiana and chuckled. "I'm going to get some shut eye, have some fun...no doubt that won't be too hard." His suggestive comment caused Naveen and Tiana to blush, and Jack's smirk widened. It was such fun messing around with people.

"My brother from another mother!"

Jack turned to see Flynn and laughed. He gave Flynn a one-armed hug and demanded, "Did you talk to Rapunzel?" Flynn's silence spoke legions. "WHAT. Do you have _any idea_ what that cost?" Jack shot Flynn a dirty look and shoved him angrily. "Are you serious?" Jack cast a quick look around and spotted Rapunzel. "Excuse me," he told Flynn. He pulled out his phone and used his voice amplifier app. "RAPUNZEL," he yelled into the thing. Jack, being naturally loud, added with the app, gave off the impression that he was shouting at the top of his lungs. The room fell deadly silent, and the ring of people around Rapunzel hastily edged back. Rapunzel blushed, and all eyes were trained on her. Jack gave Flynn a huge shove towards the girl, and Flynn stumbled.

"Wow, Jack," Charm whispered.

"This better be worth it," Jack grumbled.

Rapunzel shot a dirty look at Jack before turning to Flynn, who caught her gaze. "Flynn?" Rapunzel said, raising a brow.

"Hey, Rapunzel," Flynn said weakly, and Jack snorted. Everyone was watching this—and Rapunzel had a _very_ good chance of humiliating Flynn in front of _everyone._ Jack knew how much Rapunzel would love that. "How are you?" Flynn said feebly, starting off with small talk. Jack rolled his eyes. Only _Rapunzel_ could be so intimidating to Flynn, who was usually the one who intimidated people in a situation like this.

"Enough with the small talk," Rapunzel snapped. "Whatever you have to say, say it in right now."

"Aye, he's a goner," Jack sniggered.

"I wanted to apologize," Flynn said quietly. "I'm not going to beg for your forgiveness because that would be rash, and you shouldn't accept it anyway. But..." He looked up hopefully at her. "I just wanted to tell you that I really _am_ sorry. I know you probably won't forgive me anytime soon, but I hope that one day, you'll grant me the absolute honor." Wow, Flynn sure was milking it for all it was worth, wasn't he?

"It's going to take a lot more than sorry to fix this," Rapunzel snapped.

Flynn smiled shyly. "Then how about this?" Then, he leaned forward and kissed her—right in front of everyone. Rapunzel didn't even pull back. Jack clapped a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing. Rapunzel was going to forgive Flynn, he knew that, because...um, that was just what generally happened in fairy tales. Jack swore that Flynn _must've_ stolen that line from somewhere. Flynn _couldn't_ have been smart enough to come up with something like that.

"That," Rapunzel said weakly when they pulled apart, "might've...done it."

Jack started clapping loudly, and after a second, everyone else joined in. Jack caught Flynn's eye, and Flynn mouthed a _thank_ _you_ to him. Jack smirked. Yes, he was just that awesome. As the people clapped dutifully, he quickly slipped out of the room. Jack headed back to his room and lay down on his bed, staring mindlessly at the ceiling.

 **Behind Her Smile**

The rehearsal hours seemed longer and more demanding, but Mr. Pabbie insisted that Jack and Elsa put in more time. Elsa didn't think it was very fair that they had to be in it. After all, they _had_ written it. But Mr. Pabbie was Mr. Pabbie, and Elsa found herself cursing inwardly because it _was_ a school-free week, and Elsa wanted to _relax._ Surely teachers weren't _that_ cruel.

Elsa was in the practice room. Mr. Pabbie was watching her with a curious look as they waited for Jack. Grr. If she had to spend time with _him,_ he could at least have the courtesy to _not be late._ Of course, considering Jack, Elsa didn't know why she was expecting anything because he _was Jack Overland,_ master of procrastinating anything he did not want done. Sort of.

The door swung open, and Jack sauntered in. "Sorry I'm late," he said, not sounding very sorry at all. "I was distracted."

"Tsk, tsk, Mr. Overland," Mr. Pabbie said disapprovingly. "You're a smart person, Jack."

"Very smart and very _easily distracted,"_ Jack corrected.

Mr. Pabbie chuckled. "Alright then. Scene four please."

Elsa hoped that if she had a homicidal look on her face, the others would think it was for working during the break and not because of Jack. Jack's gaze swept over her briefly, and he blinked. "Scene four," Jack said thoughtfully. "That would be where Crystal screams in Frost's face. How delightful." Sarcasm laced Jack's voice, and he looked rather bored. Elsa felt like screaming.

Mr. Pabbie crossed his arms. "Alright, go ahead."

Elsa took a deep breath and glared at Jack, as her character was supposed to, which wasn't hard. "Ugh, you are the most _stuck up_ person I have _ever_ met!"

Frustration crossed Jack's face. "Don't go talking about things you don't even know!"

"Oh, really?" Elsa said testily. "So you _aren't_ the person who just uses people to make you feel better about yourself."

"But you don't really know me at all," Jack said, crossing his arms. "I'm usually pretty good at reading people, but you're..."

"I'm _what?"_ Elsa demanded in a low hiss.

"You're _different,"_ Jack said frustratedly, his voice rising. He wasn't quite shouting, but he was close. He ran a hand through his messily styled hair and leaned closer, eyes flashing. "You hide behind that smile, you watch everything, and you're very careful with your emotions. You are the most _stubborn creature_ ever, and I don't understand why. Everyone else is the _same._ All they care about is..." He trailed off, perhaps realizing that he had come off the script.

Elsa stared. Suddenly, she realized that they were very close. There was an intense air around them, fierce and raging and blinding. Jack pulled back first, breathing labored. Then, he turned towards Mr. Pabbie, who looked quite impressed. "Wow," Mr. Pabbie said, smiling a tiny, crinkled smile. "Have you ever considered improv, Jack? The way you came up with those lines..."

"Um," Jack said dumbly. "I don't know."

"Well, you guys can take a break," Mr. Pabbie said.

"Elsa."

Elsa turned towards Jack wearily. "What?"

When she looked into his eyes, she was surprised to see something akin to regret, like he was ashamed or something. It was brief, but Elsa was sure it was there...sort of. Jack inhaled sharply. "I'm, um, sorry. I told Rapunzel I wouldn't mess with you anymore, but with the play going on, it's..." He trailed off, but Elsa understood. The characters they played in the play were so remarkably close to their own relationship that it was hard.

"I...understand." Elsa was sort of surprised that Jack had promised Rapunzel such a thing. Elsa didn't think anything else could shock her today. "And..." Wow, she felt _really_ awkward bringing this up. "About that other day, when I snapped at you..." Jack raised a brow. "I was just angry, and I just...I just exploded." Jack nodded, like this made sense, but really, the entire _conversation_ didn't make much sense to Elsa. "So, um"—why, oh why, was she torturing herself with this—"do you want to, um, have that truce back, um, on?" Talk about awkward.

"No."

That took a second to sink in.

"Okay, great, this is—wait, _what?"_

Jack grinned. "No, I'd rather just be friends with you," he said. So Elsa _could_ be more surprised. "The truce wasn't really good for us, and I'm not saying that we should be BFFs or anything, but..." Jack cut off his awkward rambling, and Elsa bit her lip to stop from grinning like an idiot because this _really_ didn't make any sense—at all. "Friends?" he said, shooting her a shaggy smile that had no malice in it.

Elsa smiled wryly. "Friends," she echoed.

"I would say this would be a good time to hug, but that would make this more awkward than it already is," Jack commented. His expression grew a little more serious. "And..." He scratched the back of his neck, looking only a _little_ less awkward. "I'm sorry about your, um, mom," Jack said through stiff lips. The words held a slightly awkward air, but the look in his eyes was genuine enough.

Elsa gazed into his frost-colored eyes. "Thanks."

Mr. Pabbie clapped his hands together. "Let's start from Scene 1, people!"

Elsa caught a breath.

 _I'm friends with Jackson Overland. How the heck did that even happen?_

 **Behind Her Smile**

"So, what's your favorite color?"

"What?"

"Let me guess: white. No, wait, make that blue. Frosty blue." Jack smirked. "Like my eyes."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You are so self-conceited," she complained.

Jack laughed. They were on the set of the play production. Elsa was sitting on the edge of the stage as Jack lay on it, stomach against the ground, which was slightly uncomfortable, but what the heck? He propped up his arms on the floor, resting his chin in a hand. "Why, thank you, ma'am," he teased. He glanced over at Mr. Pabbie, who was lecturing Rapunzel on how to talk in an angry voice because hey, did the girl _ever_ seem angry? "I just wanna ditch," Jack complained.

Elsa rolled her eyes again. "Then ditch. As long as I get a good grade, I don't care what you get."

He placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, how you wound me," he said sarcastically.

Jack blinked, trying to keep himself awake, because honestly, this would've been his snooze time. Just a few minutes...

 _Whack!_

Jack blinked, startled. Then, he glared at Elsa. "Why did you do that?"

"You were seconds away from hitting the sack," she said haughtily.

"You suck," Jack grumbled.

She glared at him, and he would never admit it, but she was scary when she did that. She was better as a friend than an enemy, to be honest, and it wasn't just because she was so smart... She had this interesting...energy to her. It made Jack weary at times...but she was just as impossible as always, if not more. She just wasn't impossible _against_ _him._ The big difference made everything change...though Jack pretended otherwise. No one had ever changed him before, and no one was going to start now.

As the days passed by, Jack wondered why everything seemed... _brighter._ Not like Yuck-Why-Is-It-So-Bright but _wow, everything's so beautiful._ Not that everything was beautiful but things seemed...distinct. Crisper. More vivid. Jack wondered why, though a nagging voice in the back of his mind told him why. Also, in one day, Elsa had taught Jack how to draw. He wasn't very good at it, not the way she was, but she told him that he had promise. Those words, more than anything, filled Jack with a newfound strength. Life seemed... _better._

There was this strange feeling in his chest, this feeling that was bright and jittery and felt like it was impatient, as if he had been forcing it back all this time and now it was hitting him with everything it had. It was a crazy, like a fiery ball of light in his chest—not that Deluminator thing from Harry Potter, though. It was warm and soft, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

It couldn't have been because he was friends with Elsa, right..?

Never mind. Whatever it was, it was exhilarating and astonishing—and it scared the crap out of him.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa positively, without doubt, absolutely hated—

You thought she was going to say _Jackson Overland,_ didn't you? Well, to be frank, if you asked her a month ago, she would've said that, without doubt, without question, without any hesitation whatsoever. Nope. This time, it wasn't Jack. It wasn't even a person. It was really a thing, to be classified as a horrific thing. Early morning wake ups. Yes, we all hate them, don't we? Well, Elsa _had_ hated them. But now, she had pushed right past hate right into the I-Despise-This-And-Nothing-Is-Going-To-Change-My-Mind-Unless-I-Have-Harry-Potter-Cast-A-Memory-Charm-On-Me zone.

Also, why was it that those Harry Potter books were always checked out during the summer?

"OWWWWWW—Rapunzel, you _do_ realize that that's the _sharp_ end of the pencil, right?"

Rapunzel smiled mysteriously, maybe even obliviously. "Oh, of course I know, why do you think I poked you?"

Elsa shook her head in amazement as Jack attempted a stoic expression at the ever excitable Rapunzel. The break wasn't as horrible as it might've been—though Elsa found her resentment growing for Mr. Pabbie with each passing day—and here Elsa was, with a book in her lap. However, her gaze kept flickering up from the book to Jack and Rapunzel, who were so loud it was impossible to concentrate on her book.

The smart thing to do would be to get up and move, but since Elsa just _loved_ constantly torturing herself, she stayed.

Jack snickered—but not in the mean way, like Elsa would've used to expect—at Rapunzel. Of course, Elsa had come to terms to the fact that in her head, she exaggerated everything he did (not intentionally, of course) due to her hate. He wasn't _that_ bad, though he _did_ toe across the line every now and then, and by every now and then, she meant _pretty much every five minutes._ It was infuriating and ridiculous and just plain childish, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him to shut the hell up for five seconds. Of course, he'd probably make a joke about that, and she'd probably end up whacking him over the head with her book and giving him a concussion—but she honestly didn't want to do that because that would mean a lot of tedious paperwork to deal with, and Elsa didn't want to work anymore than she had to doing her winter break.

That, of course, didn't make it easy to resist the urge to. Partly it was because of Jack's personality and the other...well, the other was because Elsa just liked doing little things like that to him—to make him behave and step into line because if Jack was going down in flames, there was no way she was going down to. And you know what? Elsa didn't want to go back to a stupid little high school with people who whispered behind her back. At least Rosethorn Academy was roomy—never mind the people in her classes, Elsa didn't remember bumping into other people, say, um, _ever._

"Yo, Elsa!"

Elsa looked up wearily at Jack. "What do you want?"

"Why is that _always_ your response whenever I say something?" Jack complained.

"What else would I say?" she mused.

"I don't know. Hmm... How about _hi._ No. How about _hi, Jack, you awesome human being._ No, that doesn't work either. How about _hi, Jack Overland, you awesome, talented, handsome human being_ —of wait, I've got it," Jack said, smirking. His frosty eyes twinkled with mischief. "Ready? How about _hi, Jack Overland, you awesome, talented handsome god?"_

Elsa blinked. "What?"

Rapunzel smiled. "I believe he just asked you to call him a god."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm _never_ going to do that—your ego doesn't need more feeding."

Then, Jack did one of those god-awful smirks that he always did just to make Elsa's inside twist because he _knew_ how much she hated it when he did that. To another girl's perspective, his smirks might be cute, maybe even handsome. Yet, even despite her changed feelings about him (and really, tolerating him was an improvement, never mind friendship), she still _hated. Those. Smirks._ Seriously. It wasn't even possible to have that many smirks. Of course, considering all the time Jack spent in front of a mirror (so Elsa assumed), if there was anyone with all those smirks, it would be Jackson Overland.

Hell, even once Rapunzel had gushed over Jack's smirks. Elsa had been so disgusted she didn't speak to Rapunzel for the rest of the day.

Of course, it hadn't exactly been the 'cold shoulder.' Rather, Elsa just remained silent and shot Rapunzel disgusted looks at her friend for the rest of the day. Rapunzel, of course, could care less and chattered on and on about Jack because she knew how annoying it was to Elsa. Elsa remembered screaming at some random person's face just because of her frustration.

Yeah...hopefully, that person didn't remember.

Hanging out with Jack was also a new thing. She didn't even remember how it started happening. It was a game the two of them played. They tried to surprise each other at ridiculously random moments—like that moment when Elsa had been talking to her French teacher, and he had just walked in like he ruled the world. It had been absolutely ridiculous, and Jack swore that he would show up in her classes uninvited after the break. Elsa had joked to him about his weird obsession with her, and his response had been a casual "Sweetheart, you're about the only interesting thing that's female in here." Elsa had of course banned him (they had a contract and everything) from calling her 'sweetheart,' which had, of course, only encourage more jokes about the matter.

Elsa had actually walked in on him playing the guitar (where he had forced her to sign a contract to not tell anyone that he played) once. He had been singing in a low, musical voice, and Elsa would've laughed (but not in the mean way) if it hadn't been for the lack of movement thanks to how shocked she had been because _who knew that Jackson Overland could play the freaking guitar?_

The game of walking in on them was a challenge for them both—and because they were both so freakishly competitive (Rapunzel had dubbed them that), neither would let the other win. And so the game continued. The score was tied so far, with each four points each. Jack had actually walked in on her in the library, but she had played it off with a smart, confident air and told him that she had seen him as soon as he had entered. With her false academic air, he had been convinced.

Which was also another reason why Elsa had recruited Rapunzel.

Rapunzel was usually Elsa's look out for Jack, and Elsa was quite grateful.

Jack had actually started painting—he wasn't very good at it, but Elsa forced herself to give him reassuring compliments. He, of course, saw through her mask of lies and immediately called her on it, accusing her of downplaying things. Then, she had flat out told him that he was terrible. He, of course, didn't take it very well, but of course, she had been quick to remind him that it was all his fault for wanting the truth. She remembered that so well...

 _"It's...not...bad."_

 _Jack blinked at her. "Really?" he said sarcastically. Then, he crossed his arms. "I bet you can't even tell what it is."_

 _"I can, too," Elsa countered. She squinted, scrutinizing his painting. Squinting didn't make the thing look more like...um, anything. It was white and black... The ears weren't proportional, and Elsa wasn't sure where its neck was. "It's a..." Elsa hesitated. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? She had no idea what that black and white blob resembled. "Is it a...weirdly distorted cow?"_

 _"No!" Jack cried. "It's a wolf! Can't you tell?"_

 _He pointed vigorously at it with his paintbrush, which only splattered more drops on his 'wolf.' His painting was in a single word disastrous. Of course, he probably wasn't cut out for art. Elsa had told him that he probably couldn't draw an animal, and he, with his competitive nature, had to prove that she was wrong. He, of course, failed (obviously). "Tell me the truth," he demanded. "What do you think of it?"_

 _"It's..." She hesitated. "You really want the truth?"_

 _"Yes. Always the truth."_

 _"Okay. It's terrible. It's actually the worst thing I've ever seen_ — _and trust me, I've seen_ loads _of terrible art."_

 _He winced. "Seriously? You couldn't have been a_ little _nicer about it?"_

 _"Hey, you wanted the truth! Don't you dare blame me on this!"_

 _"And you seriously couldn't tell it was a wolf?"_

 _She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "No. I couldn't. I guessed cow because of the colors."_

 _"You obviously haven't seen many cows then."_

 _"You obviously have never painted before."_

 _"I did," he countered, "once."_

 _"And how'd that work out for you? Oh wait, don't answer. I'm pretty sure I already know the answer."_

The memory was so distinct, so vivid to Elsa. A smile grew on her face as she thought about it. It had felt nice showing Jack that he wasn't perfect. She had lots of fun teasing him about that. She had, of course, shown him the _right_ way to paint. He had looked like he had wanted to quit, but—cue his possessively competitive nature—he had stuck through it stubbornly.

"Elsa. Elsa. Elsa. Elsa."

"WHAT do you want?"

Jack smirked at her, one of those god-awful smirks. Except...it actually looked kind of...cute this time. Almost innocent. His lips were slightly parted, the gap revealing incredibly white teeth (though not bleached white). His lips were almost devoid of any pigment, except for the slightest hint of pale pink, contrasting oddly with his alabaster skin. His smirk was actually not a mocking one. It was almost...genuine, inasmuch as a smirk could be, and—

God, was she seriously pondering about his smirk? There was only one possible explanation:

She was losing her mind.

* * *

 **QotD: What does 'QotC' stand for?**

* * *

 **A/N: Yo, it's Darky. Ah, so they have a friendship. Sort of. We'll see if it lasts, won't we? Now, I apologize for this update. I promise it won't take me longer than the time I used to write another chapter up. I think. But hey, I was actually reading a story. The author didn't update for 9 months before updating. So...I'd say I can at least update faster than that...  
**

 **Also, if I have any mistakes in this...well, I didn't reread it. 10,000 words per chapter, people, cut me some slack!**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	7. Showtime

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 7 - Showtime  
**

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 **"I'm not like the others** **, so don't fight it anymore, no.** **What will it take for me to make you see** **I'm not your enemy?" - Excerpt from _Not Your Enemy,_ Jesse McCartney  
**

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 **A/N: Hello there, beautiful people of the universe.  
**

 **Now, I figured something out (and I can't believe that it took so long to figure out, but let's keep it short, so we can get to the chapter). I like writing Jack's POV better. Now, it isn't to say I don't like writing Elsa's. I just think that Jack is a sort of underdeveloped character. There is so much we don't know about him, and he _is_ easier for me to write, what with his joking attitude and 'perfect' facade. But I feel like I should spend some more time exploring his character, so don't hate me _too_ much if I start putting out chapters with his POV entirely (which I feel like I probably should've done more to get faster updates).**

 **I just like the way I put him, this 'feel-good, joking' sort of character. I find his thoughts hilarious when I read them over. Or maybe that's just me.**

 **HOWEVER, I also think Elsa's POV is equally important, but I put so much more of her in this...from her point of view. Yup, it's Jackie Boy's turn (oml, did I just call him that?). Also, can we take a brief moment to thank Demi Lovato for releasing her _Sorry Not Sorry_ song because god, I was just writing this and chilling to that. #QUEEN**

 **I also adore Rapunzel and Jack's little chats/quarrels. The two are just sort of different but sort of the same, if you get my flow. Enjoy. ;)**

* * *

Being wrong was _supremely_ frustrating.

Being wrong to someone as idiotic as Rapunzel was infuriating (but don't tell her he called her that).

So here Jack Overland was, in all his glory, scowling in front of the long-haired girl in a random hall (did you seriously expect him to pay attention to all the halls in the school?). Rapunzel looked gleeful in the sort of confused way, like she was confused about what she was right about but was happy anyway (probably because Jack had a murderous look on his face). Jack hoped any passers-by would think the homicidal look on his face was for something else—like maybe being stuck at school or something—and not because of Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel," Jack hissed through his teeth, "do you even know what you're right about?"

Rapunzel gave him one of those looks she loved to make—like she thought _he_ was the one being the idiot. "Of course not," she said cheerfully.

Jack resisted the urge to just angrily stalk out of the room, but then again, you couldn't really stay mad at Rapunzel. Sometimes, she actually sounded smart. And other times...well, this was a very clear example of those 'other times.' Sometimes, Jack wondered if she put up this 'dumb-girl' facade or something, but why the hell would someone do that?

"Jack?"

Jack blinked at Rapunzel. "What do you want, Rapunzel?" he asked wearily.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I—"

"—spit it out, Rapunzel."

"Well, you see, I—"

"—does it seriously take that long to say something?" Jack demanded. "I swear, if this isn't _the_ most _important_ thing ever—" Oh, who was he kidding? Did 'important' and 'Rapunzel' go together? He would hope the answer was obvious. But then again, with that slightly uncertain look on Rapunzel's face...ugh... Jack took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "Well?"

"Do you have a piece of paper?" she asked timidly.

He glared. "No, I do NOT have a piece of paper."

She smiled brightly. "Okay."

Taking a deep, frustrated breath, Jack stood up, sighing. "Rapunzel, do you act like this on purpose?"

"Like what?" she said, light green eyes flaring defensively. Then, the emotion was gone, and a silly smile grew on her face. Again, not for the first time, Jack wondered why she did that. She always seemed to be... Okay, let's not judge her like that. Besides, she was nice company. Then, she smiled. "Maybe I do," she retorted sharply. "You think I dumb myself down for some people?"

"Well, no," Jack started, then upon seeing her sharp expression switched tactics. "Well, okay, I do."

She smiled. "Sometimes."

"I guess that makes sense if you want to—WAIT. Does that mean you dumb yourself down _for_ me?" Jack demanded, utterly enraged.

"Sometimes."

"What is THAT supposed to mean!"

"Well, Jack, that tends to mean that, um, you aren't very smart."

"WHAT."

If _any other person had said that,_ Jack would just laugh. He would laugh because he would never believe it from anyone else's mouth. Coming from Rapunzel, it wasn't even comical. It was _horrific_ because she often reminded him of one of those balloons that run out of air and fly all over the place (sorry not sorry for the bad analogy). There was no way _Rapunzel_ could tell him he wasn't smart when she...when she...

Only, it wasn't like he thought Rapunzel wasn't smart or anything, but—

 _That's exactly what you were thinking._

 _I can't help it! We ALL think it!_

 _And you call yourself nice. SMH...  
_

 _Shut up. You're just my self-conscience._

Anyway, it wasn't like he didn't think Rapunzel _wasn't_ smart because he believed that she had the potential to be smart (ew, was his boring teachers' speeches really rubbing off on him?). This was exactly why he hated school. But Rapunzel just seemed to have that _pass-fail_ sort of personality. A bit careful, having some smarts (though he wasn't sure in what categories), and just generally this bubbly vivacious figure.

Um...yeah, what he _meant_ to say was that 'smart' wasn't exactly the first adjective that came to mind when describing Rapunzel.

 _I think she's very smart._

 _Again, shut up._

"Jack?"

Jack looked curiously at Rapunzel. "Yeah?"

She smiled sweetly and reminded Jack of one of those innocent little kids that just never grew up... Now, where did that reference come from? Honestly, he felt like brushing his teeth after being around her for so long. But Rapunzel just had that sweet little smile on her face. He wondered if she even knew anything the slightest bit...um, what's a word for not innocent? "You're less mean when you're around Elsa."

"Um, what?"

"I mean, you're a jerk around your friends and stuff—"

"— _excuse YOU_ _—?!"_

"—and you're rude to all your teachers—"

"—they deserve it—"

"—and you can be a real hypocrite—"

"—girl who has hair that should probably get cut because I trip over it every two seconds say WHAT—?"

"—but you're really a lot nicer when you're around Elsa," Rapunzel said, still having that sweet little smile on her face. "I mean, you smile a bit more, actually smile. Not some of those god-awful smirks"— _say what now?_ —"that you do because you think you're impressing people. Trust me, she hates those. But you joke about things that are...you know, okay and stuff."

"How can anybody hate my smirks? I mean, they're—"

Jack stopped short, Rapunzel's words finally reaching his comprehension. Hold up—was Elsa _changing_ him? Uhm, say _what_ now?

Now, Jack had quite the reputation in the school. If he looked to smart, people would call him a nerd. No offense to nerds, but who would take him seriously if he kept switching titles every damn minute just because he said _one smart thing_ or some other BS like that? See, he had an image to maintain—and boy it was worth it because he reaped the rewards. Now what are those rewards, you may ask?

Well, one would be able to have all that charisma and confidence and that _image_ to slide his way out of a lot of trouble because he got in a _lot_ of trouble (what else would you expect? He was actually surprised he wasn't kicked out of school yet...). Another was that he naturally just got what he want. It wasn't like he used that compulsion crap on people, but they just stared with those awed expressions...

Okay, those expressions _were_ a bit creepy at times (like the first time Jack had met Hans, and Hans just stared dreamy-eyed at him for the first month or so and nearly fainted—maybe it was an exaggeration, but Hans _had_ gotten a bit woozy and swayed—when Jack asked him to sit at their table, and _yes,_ he just said 'asked'—he wasn't a complete jerk).

Anyway, back to the point, changing was absolutely _unacceptable_ in his world. Well, not totally... But... With the way Elsa was...and the way he was. Yup, it was safe to say that they were polar opposites. They might be friends and all, but it wasn't the type of close friendship that would have Jack coming over to her with his problems ( _not_ that he had any because, you know, he was just too perfect to be real and stuff). They had only gotten closer because of all the work Mr. Pabbie made them do. Elsa actually made that more bearable...though she _was_ quite annoying sometimes.

But still. The point remained. Someone like Elsa... How could she change _him?_ It was too _weird._

He knew what you were thinking: _weird? That's the only word you could think of to describe it?_ Well, if you aren't okay with his crappy vocabulary skills...eh, he didn't give a crap.

Anyway.

Some people might disagree (at first glances) that Jack and Elsa were complete opposites. Well...they both had really pale hair (though his was more on the alabaster side than hers) and blue eyes—though he had better looking ones, of course. But...yeah, she was quiet and shy and just...well, it wasn't that she was unfriendly or anything (because she could be really nice about 5% of the time, at least to him, ha, she must do that to everyone), but with the vibes she gave off, people didn't just go up and start a conversation with her.

Jack begrudgingly admitted that Elsa was some looks—oh, if only she had the confidence to pair them with...or maybe that would be a bad idea because there was only _one_ person fit to rule to school in all its glory, and yes, that person was him. But Elsa was pretty. In the sort of mysterious, alluring way. With her pretty face and angelic features, she could be sort of dazzling to some people (his English teacher would be _so_ proud of those last two sentences).

And Jack...well, did he even need describing? He was hot, and he knew it. Only, he had the confidence. His aura, he was sure, radiated of that confidence. He knew he was good at his job—if someone told him he wasn't...um, one person wasn't going to change his opinion on himself. But if Elsa was a bit more confident, perhaps she would be the girl version of him.

But she wasn't. Jack was pleased because again, he was the only person to rule the school. Call him arrogant if it makes you feel better, but it was all true.

He would spend the entire chapter talking about his awesomeness, but let's face it: plenty of people in the school already talked about his awesomeness.

Anyway, it was just beyond surreal that Elsa could change him... Actually, he prided himself on being unchanged by others. Sort of.

Rapunzel laughed, probably from the look of horror on his face. "Look at your face! You look horrified!"

"Um, maybe because I _am_ horrified!" Jack exclaimed, not seeing the hilarity of the situation. "I'd rather eat a fox's eyeballs than let someone change me!"

Rapunzel's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What?!"

"Never mind," Jack said, shaking his head slowly. "Um..." Just as he looked for an excuse to leave, a voice erupted in the room.

"JACK AND RAPUNZEL. MY TWO FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD."

"So your parents aren't your favorite people?" Jack teased, turning towards Flynn. Flynn was like a brother to him. But they had known each other since forever... Actually, Flynn was the reason Jack was alive. He would be completely and utterly destroyed without Flynn. Flynn gave him a one-armed hug and then hoisted Rapunzel in the air.

Then, Flynn turned back to Jack and scoffed. "Course not. My parents are nut jobs. I thought you would be pleased."

"Oh, I _am,"_ Jack said, smirking.

Rapunzel blinked. "Oh, I forgot. I have to help Tiana study! Bye!" She paused and turned back. "By the way, Jack said that he'd rather eat a fox's eyeballs than let someone change him." Then, she darted away.

Flynn's lip curled in distaste. "That's disgusting."

"So is changing! I'm perfectly happy the way I am!" Jack protested.

"Maybe a little change would be good for you," Flynn suggested.

"Again, I'd rather eat a fox's eyeballs— _raw!_ —than change."

"Again, that's just gross."

Jack sniffed. "To you, maybe."

"To _everyone!"_ Flynn erupted, eyes wide. He shook his head and took his phone and video-chatted (or video- _smiled,_ really) with Rapunzel for about two seconds. Flynn cradled the phone, sending Rapunzel one of those smiles that made Jack want to throw up. Seriously, the two were so sugary-sweet and in love that it made Jack want to brush his teeth around them. Don't worry—he was all for them, especially seeing that Flynn had been in a horrible slump after Rapunzel had ignored him—but...it could be a bit...where's the nice way to say this—disgusting.

"Can you two _not_ do that around me?" Jack huffed.

Flynn huffed. "Maybe you should settle down for a girl, so you won't die alone, Jack."

Jack scoffed. "I don't plan on dying alone. And it's not like I don't _want_ a girlfriend...I just haven't...found the right one yet," he finished lamely.

Flynn stared incredulously. "You mean that's why you've had flings with over half the school?"

"Okay, in my defense, I didn't know how demanding Tiana could be, or how awkward it would be a couple with my ex-mentee, and I forgot how much of a gossip Ella was, and I forgot that Tooth was in a relationship."

Flynn's incredulity grew. "And how, pray tell, did you forget Tooth was in a relationship!"

"I...get lost in...her eyes?" Jack offered sheepishly.

"You're terrible."

Jack huffed. "Well...I just... How do you feel for Rapunzel?"

Flynn's gaze turned dreamy, and a look of worship crossed his eyes. Jack scowled. "Like I would die for her in a heartbeat. Like...she's the only one that's ever on my mind. There's this warm feeling in my chest...right here." Flynn placed a hand over his heart. "Like I can't live without her. And we have this understanding that...no one else can understand."

Jack blinked. "Yeah, well, I've never felt that way for anyway before." He groaned. "Flynn, why couldn't you be born a girl? Then I would have no trouble finding a girlfriend!"

Flynn blinked. "That's creepy. Stop that."

"I'm serious!" Jack moaned. He blinked thoughtfully. "Your name could be Flynna or Flynnie or—no, wait, I got it: Flynnia."

Flynn eyed him. "Did you hit your head somewhere?" He shuddered. "You are such a creep."

"And you're my soul mate trapped in a male's body, _Flynnia,"_ Jack retorted. "Get over it."

"I _am_ over it! You're the one who—"

"—excuses, excuses," Jack said dismissively. "I don't believe in love, though."

Flynn sniffed, raising a brow. "Thank _God._ Well, I guess not really...but at least I can't be your soul mate then. But still. Why not?"

Jack shrugged. "My parents never loved me. Your parents, really, were the ones that raised me. That's why you're like a brother to me. I've never experienced any romantic love. I mean...I guess I don't believe in the whole 'true love' and 'soulmates' thing. How can there just be one person that's out there for you? Ridiculous. And what if one dies early and stuff? It's a bunch of crap. But family love...I guess that's true." Jack glared at the ground. "Maybe you need to actually be in love to understand love—but hell, you're in love, and you don't understand it."

Flynn shrugged. "I don't have to. I feel it. In my chest, in my bones, in my _blood._ It just lives there."

"Ew, like a parasite?"

Flynn shook his head, slightly amused, slightly disgusted. _"No,_ Jack. Just no."

"Love is for suckers," Jack declared.

"I thought you said hope was for suckers."

Jack glared. "Don't twist my words."

"That wouldn't be a problem if you didn't talk at all," Flynn declared cheerfully.

"That would be a boring existence—for you. Now you can either come with me and grab some food or continue arguing. And since one of us is right, and one of us is wrong, this will go a lot faster if you just admit you're wrong."

Flynn shook his head, half-amazed, half-incredulous. "You have a creative way of winning arguments."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Grr. Is fried dough _really_ that hard to ask for?"

Flynn blinked. "You had that yesterday."

Jack glared at the plentiful varieties of food in front of him. Not a single donut. Not a _single one._ Seriously. The academy should put their priorities in order—food and then academics. And this was exactly what Jack argued on. "The academy _should_ put some delicious food out here—don't give me that look, Flynn, I don't need you to tell me that they _are_ delicious—and focus on their cooking, not their teaching."

Flynn snorted. "Then we'd all be dumb and obese."

"Hey, half of us are already stupid—I don't see how a little fattening will hurt."

"I do. Then again, you're part of the 'brainless' side."

Jack shot a fierce glare at Flynn. "I'm not the one who failed that English test. The answers were literally A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D, and so on!"

"That was not my fault!" Flynn huffed. "And the answers were _not_ A, B, C, D over and over again!"

"Yeah, they were!" Jack scoffed. "The teacher always does that weird sigh, hiccup thing whenever she does that test—it's a test if you pay attention or not!"

Flynn blinked. "Oh...well...I guess that's...um...something." He grinned. "Who knew the teachers had brains?"

"I don't think _you_ should be judging people on whether they have brains or not," Jack told him. He picked up an apple and spun it on one finger as if it was a basketball, something he had spent hours doing as a child just so he could flaunt off the new skill to his classmates. And yes, he was just as charming as a little kid as he was now. Jack took a great bite of the apple and swallowed. He grabbed some other items and piled them up on his tray.

"It's amazing how much you can fit in your big mouth," Flynn remarked, picking up a sandwich.

"Isn't it? I mean, just the other day I—WAIT. **What** did you just call my mouth?"

Flynn sniffed. "I'll admit you pay attention—barely. Otherwise I would've gotten away with the comment." Flynn let out a long sigh and took a bite of his sandwich, chomping nearly half of it. He seemed to barely chew it before swallowing. Jack turned away, slightly disgusted, even though he had no reason to be since he did that himself. Still...one loves in themselves what they hate in others, right?

Jack and Flynn walked back to their nearly empty table. Everyone else was probably a) asleep, b) asleep, or c) asleep. Oh, and if they were like Hans, they weren't even at the academy—but still, let's face facts: they were probably just all asleep. And now that he thought about it, Jack wasn't exactly sure why he _wasn't_ asleep... Who had woken him up anyway? Eh, he could figure it out later.

He turned towards Flynn, whose sandwich seemed to have miraculously disappeared. Flynn had a smug expression on his face. If there was a ever a contest for the fastest eater, Flynn would definitely be victorious in it. And Jack himself would pay to have a front row ticket to see Flynn's face when he barfed it back all up, as he had consistently did after eating too much.

Ah, childhood. The days were glorious... At least, with Flynn. Jack couldn't care less about his own family.

After all, since when did they care about him?

Jack let a long, exasperated sigh gust out of his mouth. He took a ginormous bite of the slice of apple pie he had taken because...um, no donuts. Plus...it was _pie,_ and if he couldn't get Boston Cream Pie, he would get any pie he could. Also, it was sort of surprising that he wasn't some sort of obese monster because he spent about 99.999% of his day eating. It was an exaggeration, but still. He turned towards Flynn. "Ugh," he groaned. "I don't know why I'm up so early."

"Early?" Flynn echoed. "It's almost ten o clock."

Jack glared. "Clearly, we have very different definitions of early."

"Clearly," Flynn said mockingly.

Jack rolled his blue orbs at Flynn and slouched in his chair. He almost sprang back up in his chair but hesitated, so he looked like an idiot in a sort of half-slouching position. Welcome to a day in the life of Jack Overland. Yup, it sucked this much (note the sarcasm). Flynn noticed (screw him) and laughed. "Look at your face, what's up, man?" Flynn said.

Jack groaned. "I didn't want to slouch. Why don't I want to slouch?"

Flynn blinked. "Um...because that's bad for you?"

"No...that's not it. It's—damn."

There she was again. Elsa Wynters. Changing him. It _had_ to be her. Jack _liked_ slouching...or at least, he thought he liked slouching.

"Are you in one of those moods again?" Flynn said, all brother-concerned-like.

Jack glared. "No."

 _Liar._

 _Shut up.  
_

"Um...okay?" Flynn said, obviously not convinced—but that couldn't be because Flynn was a bad liar because he knew that he was a _great_ liar. At least, when he wanted to be. But...the whole situation with Flynn was different. Flynn knew him, ever since they were little and Flynn taught Jack how to ice skate. Needless to say, Jack wouldn't be ice skating any time soon. He managed to fall down three flights of stairs after refusing to take off his skates. Yup. You would be scarred, too. So Flynn knew when he was lying, uncertain, certain, etc. The point remained that Flynn could read him pretty well.

But Flynn was _also_ easily distracted, which came in handy pretty much _all_ the time.

Jack turned towards the food counter, praying for a distraction. Donuts. Oh yes. God loved him.

"Fried dough," Jack breathed.

Flynn turned towards Jack and then turned towards the donuts. He grinned, smirking, and turned back to Jack. "Geez, how can you still have a liver left?"

Jack smirked. "Practice."

"There's no way you can fit anymore in you," Flynn said disbelievingly.

Jack shook his head disapprovingly, slightly mockingly, at Flynn, who rolled his eyes in a devil-may-care way. Ugh, wasn't it a pain having friends? "Are you _underestimating_ me? How dare you? I'll cram it all in faster than I cram for a test!" And cramming for a test meant grabbing the book two minutes (or usually, two seconds, because he would spend a minute and 58 seconds looking for a cheat sheet) before the actual test. Don't follow his studying ways, kids. Also, don't look for cheat sheets. The teachers prank the students with fake cheat sheets half the time to see who actually steals them.

"I don't believe," Flynn declared.

Six donuts and a cherry pie later...

"Did you _seriously_ have to add the pie?" Flynn said incredulously.

"It was just _sitting_ there! I couldn't just leave it alone."

"The _whole_ pie?" Flynn said, raising a brow.

"It would be impolite to just eat one slice and leave the rest all alone!"

"The pie doesn't have feelings!"

Jack glared. "That's as much as _you_ know."

"It's as much as we _all_ know—except for you, apparently," Flynn said, shaking his head, looking half-awed, half-disgusted. He crossed his arms and looked away from Jack briefly, his gaze traveling to all the various foods on the tables. He turned back to Jack. "I can't decide whether to be amazed or grossed out that you can fit so much. And was it seriously necessary to stuff three donuts all at once?!"

"They were all glazed—the other two would be lonely if I stuffed one solely!"

"Why not just stuff all six donuts and the pie so no one gets left out?" Flynn said sarcastically.

Jack scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. That's just stupid."

"Says the guy who believes food has _feelings!"_ Flynn said, appalled. "Besides, if they have feelings, why are you even eating them!"

"Because it's _food,"_ Jack said very slowly, like he thought Flynn was being an idiot.

Flynn then picked up his tray and smacked himself in the face over and over again in a very exasperated way. Jack laughed and yanked the tray out of Flynn's hands (though it would've been particularly sweet to watch his best friend continue to smack himself continuously). "Oh, so you have a heart," Flynn said, blinking at him. "I never noticed."

"Hey, I'm _very_ nice!" Jack said. He turned towards Charm, who was talking to Ella. "Yo, Charm, I'm nice, right?"

Charm wrinkled his nose. "No."

Flynn guffawed. "See? You aren't nice."

Jack huffed. "That was just _one_ person."

Thirty-five people and ten donuts later...

"See? They all thought I was nice," Jack crowed.

"Were those donuts seriously necessary?"

"You were _wrong,"_ Jack told him. "And Charm has his facts mixed up."

Flynn stared incredulously at him. "All you asked were _girls._ Girls you hooked up with—and you just used them to stoke your ego. _Of course_ they would say you were nice even though, somewhere, where they have a brain, I know they know that you are just a complete player." Flynn shook his head. He rolled his eyes. "But I can prove you wrong. Not _every_ girl is going to say you're nice."

"Librarians don't count," Jack warned.

"I wasn't _talking_ about librarians," Flynn huffed. He smirked. "Come with me."

"I'm warning you—you're setting yourself up for failure!"

Flynn chuckled. "You sure about that?"

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Is Jack nice?"

 _"Nice?_ Is this a joke? He is the most egotistical person ever! He goes through girls like they are just trash, and it's _disgusting_ how they—oh...Jack...I didn't see you there."

Jack rolled his frosty orbs. "Obviously."

Flynn smirked, confidence radiating off of him. "See?" he crowed. "Elsa thinks you're a jerk."

"You're supposed to _defend_ me, Elsa!" Jack huffed.

Elsa raised a brow. "Once you deserve it."

"You guys are idiots," Jack declared angrily. "Idiots, I tell you."

They just laughed.

 _Why aren't they taking my anger more seriously?_ Jerks.

"Come on, Jack," Elsa said, rolling her eyes. "I don't see how you can take this as much of an insult. You _are_ a jerk to most people you meet—unless you're trying to seduce them. Then, you'll dump them after a few days—or hours—after you get bored and 'move on with the cycle.' On and on and on. And every girl knows of your reputation, but do they say no? No! This is unacceptable!"

"I can't help it if I'm irresistible," Jack said, smirking.

Elsa looked grossed out. "Your fan club only consists of girls."

"No, guys like me, too!" Jack retorted.

"Oh, my bad, I forgot Pitch."

No, let's stop here. The reason Pitch was never mentioned was because he was _the most_ _annoying_ person in the world. He had the sort of 'worshipping' thing going around Jack. Normally, Jack would be fine with it. But not with _Pitch Black._ The guy was convinced that they were best friends and took every waking opportunity to annoy the hell out of Jack. Some of Pitch's nicknames for him consisted of: _Jack FrostyFrost, Jack PitchFrost,_ and _Jack FrostyOverland._

And those weren't even the worst.

"Pitch doesn't count—he's just weird," Jack said, disgusted.

Elsa snickered. "I don't think you should be judging who's weird or not, Jack."

"What do you mean?" Jack blinked.

"What she means is that you're quite weird, Jack," Flynn said, snickering.

"I am _not!"_

"Yes, you are! You ate three donuts at once and claimed they had feelings!" Flynn reminded him incredulously.

"I'm just going to leave now..." Elsa said.

Jack glared after her, though he wasn't really mad. He turned back to Flynn and shook his head disapprovingly. "She's _one girl._ Plus, she's...antisocial. And probably has mental health problems. And some other stuff. She's probably screwed up in the mind. She doesn't count," Jack said, crossing his arms as Flynn watched him, raising a brow.

"Mental health problems?" Flynn echoed, scoffing. "She's fine. She's probably the only sane female in here."

"What about the teachers?"

Flynn scoffed. "If they were sane, they wouldn't have taken up the profession!"

Jack shifted. "I guess...you're right."

"Of course I am."

"Ugh, you're so annoying. It's like talking to...oh..."

"Like talking to yourself?" Flynn finished, smirking. "Uh huh, I get the feeling _all_ the time when talking to you."

Jack groaned as the two started walking. Well, Jack was walking, Flynn was sort of lagging behind as he followed him. Jack headed towards his garden and flung open the doors. Flynn winced, and Jack smirked, taking in all the aromas. Actually, that might not have been the best idea. It was really a scent overload in here. He glanced back at Flynn, who was still blinking rapidly.

"Neat place, right?" Jack said, smirk widening.

Flynn shrugged. "It's nice enough." Then, his joking demeanor was back. "You must be _really_ addled if you go here all the time."

"For some peace and quiet—especially from _you,"_ Jack added ruefully.

"Your mother's love of plants has fallen on you, I guess."

The statement was so shocking Jack nearly fell over. "What?"

Flynn blinked, shifting uncomfortably, as if he had realized that Jack never realized that. Flynn looked away, at the plants, at the sky, at the ground, anywhere but at Jack. "Um...it was just...I don't know, your mother, I guess, used to be very different." Flynn shrugged. "I don't know if this is true or not—I mean, it's what my parents always told me when I asked... Um..." He glanced briefly at Jack. "I realize that this is...quite depressing."

Jack stared at his hands. "Really? Different? How?"

"I don't know. More full of life? Caring?" Flynn shrugged. "I don't really believe it, though. Your mother...she's not..."

"She's a monster, I know," Jack said quietly.

 _She changed because she had you._ The thought occurred to Jack so suddenly and briskly that he didn't have time to stop it. But...it didn't seem to be completely bananas. It actually made a bit sense. What if _he_ had been the reason his mother was so dark and unloving? And Flynn had never met his father. He had assumed his father hadn't wanted him at all because why else would he leave? And his mother would always curse about his father as she washed the same dish so hard he thought it would break. This had been when she had thought he was asleep, and he wondered what she would say if she knew that he had been awake. And it had happened continuously. He had pretended to go to sleep and then hear the water turn on and watched the... 'cycle' continue.

"Are you okay?"

Jack barely heard Flynn's words through his treacherous thoughts. He didn't believe it. How could he? Most people had an image for Jack. They thought that he was this invincible person who didn't have a care in the world, who couldn't be hurt. But in truth, Jack did care. He cared deeply especially for Flynn, Flynn's mom (because Flynn's mom had basically raised him), and his friends (though they weren't nearly as close as Flynn was to Jack).

Jack took a deep breath. He was overthinking things. He had nothing to do with his mother. It was probably his father that had changed his mother. His father, of course, had been the one that left. His father, whom he never knew, had been the one his mother had always been cursing about as she painted those fake smiles on her face and dried away the tears (he often heard her crying at night but never knew why...and what could he do about it, anyway?).

"Jack."

Perhaps love could drive someone insane. Was his mother insane? He wasn't sure. He had gone to Rosethorn Academy not simply because his friends were going there but because it was a break from his mother. He hadn't seen her in a while. He wasn't sure what the last thing he had said to her. He didn't think she even cared. She never wrote to him, never had a phone call, nothing. Jack wouldn't know if anything happened to her (though if she died in her sleep, the police would surely find out and tell him because dead bodies stink).

 _"Jack."_ Flynn gripped his shoulders, shaking him.

Jack nodded numbly. "I'm fine...thanks, Flynn."

Flynn still peered at him worriedly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Jack said, letting out a breath. He smiled. "Thanks," he said in the sarcastic tone he used when he was trying to sound sarcastic but was actually grateful.

Flynn nodded. "Always."

Jack smile and resumed to joking. "You know, yesterday, I read this book—hey, don't give me that look, I _do_ read!"

"I know that," Flynn said, snorting. "I also know it took you a few years to read _Don Quixote."_

"That wasn't my fault—and don't change the subject!"

Flynn put his hands in the air defensively. "I wasn't, I wasn't."

Jack blamed himself. But only a little.

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Jack ran his hands through his hair frustratedly as Elsa began pacing across the room. Her shoes were making this loud tapping sound—or maybe Jack's ears were just tuned to the sound because she had been doing it solidly for the past half hour, working up a sweat. He hadn't said anything (because he had assumed that she would get tired and stop), but oh, did he underestimate her, or what?

Elsa had this worried look on her face, that looked kind of cute (and it was a nice change from her _I know everything_ _or at least I know more than you do_ face that was usually aimed at him, though he was sure he had _no idea why)._ But her pacing was slowly driving him nuts (though if he mentioned this, she probably would've made a snappy comment about how he was already insane because even though she was nervous, she could still keep that attitude (though she only really acted like that towards him, she was usually all quiet and silent to everyone else except for Rapunzel).

Jack stood up, running out of excuses not to tell her to _shut_ her pie hole _shut._ Except...she wasn't exactly talking. Still, he blamed her loud pacing for his lack of brain cells. She probably killed a few when she first started. Eh...he was sure he didn't forget any important information. After all...school wasn't _that_ important, was it? After all...it was just...what was he saying again? Oh well. Must've not been all that important if he didn't remember it.

Jack grabbed Elsa's arm, and she pulled her arm out of his grasp immediately, a panicked look on her face. Relief flashed on her face when she realized that he wasn't a murderer or a clown, you know, the stuff of your nightmares. But then, a perpetually annoyed expression flashed on her face, as if she was relieved he wasn't a murderer but wasn't so happy to see _him._

 _Well, honey, we're in a play that starts in, like, five minutes, so get used to my face,_ he thought.

"Elsa, calm _down,"_ he said fiercely.

Elsa clasped her shaking hands together, though if anything, that increased the vibrating. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I just...I'm really nervous, you know?"

Jack sighed. "I know you are. You didn't just pace for over half an hour just for nothing, did you?"

She sighed. "I'm not good with people."

"No kidding."

She glared. "I'm being _serious,_ Jack. I just—I can't do this."

"Hell you can't!" Jack thundered. "I didn't waste _hours_ of my time just so you could get a little stage fright and get out of it. No, absolutely NOT. We're doing this! Or else...I'll have wasted so much time!" Jack shuddered at the horrors. He could've spent more time sleeping...and eating...and repeating that. Yeah...not much of a life, right? But hey, technically, he was _allowed_ to do that.

"Geez, Jack," Elsa said, shooting daggers at him. Then, she resumed to pacing.

Ugh. She was going to drive him abso-freaking-lutely insane if she didn't stop doing that, and if he had to hear her continue to do that, sigh, then continue pacing as she rubbed her hands together for no reason, then he was LITERALLY going to lose it. And oh my God, was it even possible for someone's footsteps to be that loud? It should be—against the law or something!

"That's it," Jack muttered, not sure if the comment was made to be said aloud. Too late for that.

He stood up and grabbed Elsa's wrist (sweaty fingers = horrible grip), dragging her off. "I'm not going to abduct you if that's what you're thinking," he told her, and she rolled her eyes in an obvious way. Thankfully, she didn't complain or anything. She just...sort of...followed. Wow. She was actually letting him lead. That was a new one. "I'd pick someone a lot less annoying," he added.

She glared. "Can you shut up?"

"No. Some people say listening to someone talk is calming because talking is something so natural," Jack said. He paused for dramatic effect, making her glare at him, though she remained silent, even though in different circumstances, she probably would've yelled at him. As it was...not so much. "Well, I suppose your case is different because you're always so—and I'll stop talking right now."

Elsa's glare intensified. "You do that." A few seconds later, she asked, "Where are we _going,_ Jack? The show starts in, like, two minutes."

He turned to her. "A place so you can breathe."

"Jack, I really don't have time for your—hey, this is the garden..."

He met her eyes. "Breathe, Elsa. In and out, in and out. That's it."

She closed her eyes, and Jack watched her breathing steady. She was still shaking a little, and Jack watched her, feeling like sort of a creep by doing so. He watched her inhale and exhale slowly. A small expression of peace settled on her face, and a chilly wind washed over the both of them. Jack glanced at the clock. Two minutes. Wow. She was going to kill him if they didn't make it back in time. _Not_ that he was going to let her, of course, but...you know. He was beginning to wonder if this was worth it...if she was going to still be a nervous wreck.

But when she opened her eyes, he knew that she wasn't afraid anymore, and he knew that it was worth it.

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _Wow._

Applause exploded in the room.

 _Is this even real?_

Cheers roared throughout the room, ringing through Jack's ears.

 _Am I dreaming?_

More clapping and cheers with some laughter and praise, this time.

 _I feel dizzy._

A smile was on Mr. Pabbie's face.

 _Bow, Jack, bow!_

Jack hastily stepped into a bow, soaking up all the praise and attention. He turned to his side to see Elsa standing there, a glowing smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and pride, though he was glad that she wasn't frozen stiff. They locked eyes for a brief moment, and he grinned. Her smile wasn't as vigorous, and it was small, but it was there.

Jack scanned the crowd and saw Flynn laughing and clapping simultaneously. A group of girls were shooting jealous looks at Elsa (probably because she got to act with _him,_ Jack Overland [not to be self-conceited or anything, but he _was_ very desired]). And...ugh, Pitch Black was waving a sign and whooping like a crazy person, causing the people around him to give him slightly insane looks.

Jack shook his head briefly and turned back to Elsa, pausing as he realized that she had a slight frown on her face. The frown didn't look like it was from sadness or anything, if anything, it was confusion. He followed her gaze and saw her watching a man. The man had to be around his late forties or so (maybe older) and had ginger colored hair and light eyes. In the lighting, it was impossible to see whether his eyes were blue or green.

"Someone you know?" Jack whispered, leaning closer to Elsa to do so.

Elsa nodded, biting her lip. "That's my father," she murmured back. "Agnarr."

"He looks proud of you," Jack murmured. That was, apparently, the right thing to say because Elsa beamed at him. _I know I am._ But the words never left Jack's lips. He wondered why he thought them. Of course he was proud—proud that she didn't screw up or anything. She had played her performance brilliantly—and, undeniably, he had done his part perfectly—but they weren't the overly cheesy type. Plus, Jack didn't want to say _too_ many nice things. He didn't want anyone to think he was one of those cheesy nice people.

Jack and Elsa exited the stage, and Jack laughed. "That was pretty cool, wasn't it?"

Elsa shuddered. "I never want to do that _ever again."_

"I do," Jack said confidently. "I did my part perfectly."

She raised a brow. "No, you didn't. You messed up in Scene 11. You were supposed to say 'I am,' not 'I'm.'"

Jack was about to shoot a stinging retort at her until he realized that joking light in her eyes. He smiled back instead and teased, "That's the same thing! And you were supposed to nod your head in Scene 8, but you didn't do that! I was waiting for it—why do you think I took so long to say my line?" Actually, he had briefly forgotten that line, but she _hadn't_ nodded. Not that she was supposed to nod in the script, but...you know, she didn't have to know that. He was sure that she wouldn't go double check the script to make sure.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You forgot all by yourself."

"Elsa!"

Elsa whirled around. "Dad!"

It was safe to say that Jack felt a little more than just 'awkward' as he watched Elsa dash over to her dad and throw her arms around him. They clearly had a close relationship. He remembered that her mom was dead and felt even more awkward than before—and that was saying something. He shifted uncomfortably and suddenly became _very_ interested with the dust on the ground. Pfft, yeah, not awkward at all.

"Dad, this is Jack."

Oh, she introduced him.

He shook Agnarr's hand (though he still wondered why someone would be called 'Agnarr') and smiled. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir,'" Agnarr thundered, and a sense of foreboding washed over Jack. If he had payed more attention, he would've realized that Elsa was on the midst of laughter. As it was...not so much. Agnarr burst out laughing, and Jack nearly sank to his knees in relief. "It makes me sound old." He turned to Elsa. "I'm a cool dad, aren't I?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Sure, Dad."

Jack laughed. "So I'm guessing you look more like your mom, Elsa?" Immediately, he regretted his words as silence filled the room. "I mean—" He hastily backtracked, groping his mind for a topic that wouldn't seem too sudden.

"It's alright," Elsa told him.

Jack smiled weakly. "Um..." He turned to Agnarr. "Did you ever expect Elsa to be in a play?"

Agnarr laughed, a booming sound. "Goodness, no. Did you push her to do it?"

"Actually, Mr. Pabbie sort of forced us to work together," Jack said. He flushed as Agnarr shot him a curious look. "But it was nice. To get the opportunity to do the play and to also"—he glanced briefly at Elsa's direction—"work with Elsa." He turned towards Agnarr. "You've got a very talented daughter right here. A little shy and a bit rough around the edges...but I reckon the best is yet to come."

Elsa blushed crimson. "Dad, I didn't expect you to be here. I don't remember telling you about the play."

Agnarr smiled cheerfully. "Just like you just so happened to forget to tell me about your Winter Recital and the other school things?" Agnarr shook his head. "No, you didn't. But your sister did. I remember she was describing Mr. Jack Overland over here as 'dreamy-eyed' and 'charming.' I suppose that all seems very true." A haunted shadow grew in Agnarr's eyes, but before Jack could pay attention, it was gone. "Excuse me. I must speak with your sister."

As Agnarr left, Elsa whacked Jack on the arm. "You could've toned it down."

Jack smiled. "I like your father. He's nice."

"It's fake," Elsa muttered. "You didn't see it—of course you didn't, you don't even know him—but he's still hurting. He's getting best as much as he can."

Jack watched her. "Kind of like you."

Elsa glanced away. "Please don't bring this up again."

"Yo. Elsa, is it?"

Jack whirled around to see Hans. Jack frowned, not sure why Hans was around. He didn't even know that Hans went to plays or anything. But Hans was smiling at Elsa, who slowly returned the smile, though Jack could tell that hers was strictly professional. "Yeah," Elsa said slowly. She glanced briefly at Jack, who shrugged in a confused way.

Hans nodded at her. "You were great."

Elsa frowned, slightly confused. "Oh... Thanks."

Jack glared at Hans. " _I_ wasn't good?"

"Oh, you were, but you don't need anymore ego-boosting," Hans said, smirking. Then, Hans left, leaving Jack with an unfinished feeling. It wasn't like he didn't think people would compliment Elsa—because he thought that she was quite talented once she got over her _ridiculous_ fear of performing and...er, people—but the whole situation just felt awkward. Jack made sure to conceal his personal feelings of uncertainty from Elsa. She wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"Thanks."

Jack had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't realized that Elsa had been watching him intently. If he was being honest, it was a bit creepy...but...you know, he sort of didn't want to point that out. God knew he did enough staring on his own. He blinked, startled. "Um...come again?" he said, wondering if he had imagined her voice or something.

"Thanks," she repeated in a slightly louder voice before retreating to her previous uncertainty. "For helping me back there... If my father saw me fail...I don't know."

"You had it in the bag," Jack told her.

"Thanks..." She glanced away awkwardly. "Yeah, thanks."

"You already said that," he pointed out, "but, you know...er, your welcome."

Jack took a deep breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. He looked up and met Elsa's eyes briefly. Then, she looked away and walked towards the door. Jack wondered if he was the only one noticing how awkward the air had been. Elsa probably did. That was probably why she left in such a hurry and refused to meet his eyes. But, of course, he couldn't expect her to hang out all day.

Then, Jack headed out the door and let it close behind him with a very audible squeak.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Did you know that Rapunzel has thirteen smiles?"

"No. How is that even possible?"

"You have, like, a billion smirks. I don't think you should be judging, Jack."

Jack blinked. "I'm very sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

Flynn scoffed. "Anyway, back to what _I_ was talking about," Flynn said, watching Jack testily. "Number one, it's her smile when she's happy. It's bright, and her eyes smile along with her smile." Flynn glanced thoughtfully at Jack. "I think that works for all girls, I mean. I guess everyone has all those smiles, but I guess some of them just don't use it."

Jack smirked. "So it _isn't_ my fault I have so many smirks. I'm just the only one that uses them all!"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Righttt," he said testily. "Anyway, did you hear that Hans has an interest in Elsa?"

Jack blinked. The thought had never occurred to him. Was that why Hans had been complimenting Elsa and such the other day? Man, that was just...twisted. Was Hans hoping that Jack wasn't there? Was that why Hans hadn't had the whole 'worshipping thing' going on—not that Jack cared. So, being the ever so well-known Jack Overland that he was, he said the first thing that popped to his mind: "That's just weird."

"Now, that's just rude."

"I can't exactly _help_ what my mouth does!"

"Yes!" Flynn said incredulously. "Yes, you _can."_

Jack sniffed. "Yeah, well, it was a reflex."

"You have a mouth reflex to say 'that's just weird' when you're surprised?"

"No, but it _is_ weird. Look at your face—you agree with me!"

"I never said I didn't think it was weird—but love works in different ways, you know?" Flynn said, shrugging in a sort of 'matter-of-fact' way. "But I guess if there was anyone, _you_ wouldn't know about love. Firstly, I remember your little speech—and all those flings? Sheesh, it's like they think you are a godly being who can get away with anything just because you're _Jack Overland."_

"But I _am_ godly, and I _am_ Jack Overland."

"Secondly, you sound like an arrogant, self-conceited bee brain."

 _"No,"_ Jack corrected, "I sound like a _handsome_ arrogant, self-conceited bee brain."

"Thirdly, it's impossible to _sound_ like a handsome bee brain."

Jack stuck his tongue out childishly at Flynn. "Then, why did I just sound like one?"

"You _don't,"_ Flynn said, shooting him a look. "You just _think_ you did." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Anyway, I heard that Hans was all worried about what you would think. He thought that you might be interested in Elsa"— _say_ —"so I guess he was really worried... I heard he wants to ask her out. He was bragging about it all morning."

Jack stared, speechless. _"Me?_ Interested in Elsa The-Most-Impossible-Snow-Queen-Ever? As if!"

Flynn shrugged. "It's not impossible. I mean, she was the only one who didn't immediately fall for your good looks and oh so _charming_ deposition."

"I _do_ have good looks and a charming deposition, don't I?"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what do you think?"

"I just...I don't see it."

"What?"

"They will _never_ happen," Jack declared.

Flynn raised a brow. "I wasn't aware you were such an expert on 'Elsa The-Most-Impossible-Snow-Queen-Ever.'"

"Don't mock me—and besides, she'll reject him. What does he see in her anyway? She's, like, super antisocial."

"I guess he likes that in a girl," Flynn said with a small shrug. "How am I supposed to know? Every guy likes a girl differently. But Hans..." Flynn let out a sharp whistle that stung Jack's ears, but he would never admit that because, you know, he was supposed to be 'invincible' and admitting that would sort of get rid of that image. "He sounded in _love."_

Jack scoffed. "He's not in _love._ If anything, I think he's infatuated with her. It's very possible."

"So you think she's pretty?"

"No, yes—what kind of question is _that?"_

Flynn rolled his eyes. "A question."

Jack flushed uncomfortably. "Well, I guess, but...you know, she's not my type. So it's weird thinking of her as pretty, you know?"

"What about all the flings you had? You didn't have trouble calling _them_ pretty."

"Elsa's not exactly a fling," Jack pointed out. "Besides, she's sort of scary—but don't tell her I said that. Those flings were just flings, and most of them were brainless, a few were bulimic, some talked too much, some just...stared at me. It was just weird and stuff. Kind of like they were... well, I guess I could put them in the 'brainless' category. They were too dazzled by me."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Wow."

"I can't help it if I'm dazzling."

"But you're _not_ dazzling," Flynn told him, matter-of-fact.

Jack sniffed. "I'm very desirable," he retorted childishly.

"I'm guessing it's not for your attitude," Flynn said dryly.

"No, actually, did you miss my comment about me being desirable? I mean, my eyes alone are—WAIT, was that a—?"

"—what did you think it was?" Flynn said, smirking.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Geez, no need for the snappy attitude."

Then, Flynn starting ranting all about how Jack was the 'boss of snappy attitudes' (which he gladly took as a compliment because the title was well deserved) and some other stuff that Jack couldn't be bothered about. Whatever. Flynn could do whatever the hell he wanted with his life, and Jack would be perfectly fine... But no, Flynn was actually a great friend of Jack's, more so than the others, and he was grateful—even when Flynn acted like a bee brained buffoon (geez, his English teacher would be proud of that slight alliteration).

Jack would go into depth about why and how Flynn had saved his life (literally!), but that's for another part of the story, so stay tuned. Or not, if you don't want to.

Jack tuned out the rest of Flynn's words (like he usually did when Flynn was acting like an idiot that talked too much—actually that description could fit several of Jack's past flings) and became _very_ interested in his fingernails suddenly (note the sarcasm). And yes, Jack was just _that good_ of a friend (and don't say that's rude because you _must've_ at one point tuned out your friend's voice, even if by accident).

"Jack. JACK. Are you listening to me?!"

Jack blinked. "Wha?"

Flynn smacked the back of Jack's head. "You. Are. Infuriating."

"At least _I_ have the decency not to whack people's heads when I'm frustrated," Jack retorted (though that statement was not _completely_ true... [though Flynn didn't have to know that]).

"That's completely false," Flynn said, narrowing his eyes. "You've whacked _me_ plenty of times."

Oops. Was it _Flynn_ he had whacked? Whoops...

 _Apologize._

 _I'm not going to apologize._

 _APOLOGIZE._

 _I'm not going to, and you can't do anything about that!_

 _You're going to end up with no friends one day._

"SHUT UP, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING—and I'm talking aloud, aren't I?"

Flynn smirked and laughed because he was _such_ a good friend. "Yup. Still have that voice in your head, eh?"

 _Definitely_ a mistake telling Flynn about his self-conscience.

Boy did Jack absolutely _despise_ being wrong.

Not that he was ever wrong.

 _That's a lie._

 _Again, shut up.  
_

His self-conscience should die.

* * *

 **QotD: Who likes watching creepy videos in the dead of the night? Raise those hands, people!**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, it's Darky! So...yeah, a whole chapter in Jack's POV. I actually enjoyed writing that. I wrote about five hundred words and then skipped a week (more, actually) from writing this or something before writing the rest over a span of...a week? Two weeks? I can't keep track anymore. Now, you know, I kind of wanted to include the part where they actually _perform_ the play, but I didn't want to write a script (after all, I'm pretty sure you guys can imagine it [it's basically how Elsa X Jack argue all the time and stuff, ya get me?].  
**

 **BUT Jack met Elsa's father. How awesome is that? And what is UP with Jack's history? And though Jack claims that Elsa 'isn't his type' (this is obviously a Jelsa story and such), is he going to change his mind? And how? I've pretty much got the entire outline for this story done, by the way, so I should have no excuse to not finish this story. :)  
**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	8. Do You Feel It, Too?

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Do You Feel It, Too?**

* * *

 **"I know that we were made to break.** **So what? I don't mind." - Excerpt from _Stay The Night,_ Zedd ft. Hayley Williams  
**

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 **A/N: Let's make a few things clear. I'm not trying to label anyone as a 'villain' or anything (this _is_ basically high school at an academy), but for the story to be interesting, there obviously needs to be things to move the story along. I was previously going to add more of Hans in the story earlier, but it was at that point when I was deciding a lot of ways this could happen, so that obviously didn't happen. However, I will be putting a bit of Han's POV to explain it (because it wouldn't work being explained from Jack or Elsa's POV...well, maybe Elsa's, but...yeah).  
**

 **Now, even though this chapter title is 'Do You Feel It, Too?' no I'm not just going to make Elsa and Jack get together. Actually...considering that this chapter has only 20 chapters total (each 10,000+ words), maybe this isn't too early. But no, no yet. Of course, the mindset of Hans was...quite different to write.**

 **And I would explain more, but you know, can't reveal the magic to it all. At least, not yet...**

 **Enjoy. ;)**

* * *

"You have anger issues."

"No, I don't! I just...have a very creative way of expressing myself."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "You are _terrible."_

Jack snorted. "Tell that to the school."

"The problem is that they _know_ you're terrible but won't admit it because they're scared you'll make their life a living hell by starting up some rumor or publicly shaming them or something," Flynn said. Now, _that_ was an exaggeration. The only time he had started something that made someone's life a living hell had been a little teasing, which they took well. But it was their best _friend_ that didn't take it well...so yeah. Not exactly one of Jack's best moments.

Flynn knew this, but of course, the little monster had to mess with him just for the sake of messing with him.

And, of course, by the fourth grade, Flynn had figured out that Jack cared about him too much to really do anything to him, hence all the horrible comments and other crap that Jack had to deal with—but, you know, it takes a idiot to know an idiot, right? Not that Jack was an idiot, but...ugh, where was he even going with this train of thought? Nowhere.

Jack shook his head ruefully at Flynn. "That's not...true," he finished lamely.

Flynn did an exaggerated eye roll and shook his head. "Right," Flynn said, blinking rapidly at Jack. "Yeah...you might want to convince yourself before you try to convince _me._ Yeah, you do that." Flynn then smirked and said, "I heard that Flynn asked Elsa out yesterday, by the way."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Without asking for my permission?" he thundered.

Flynn stared incredulously. "He doesn't need your permission to ask someone out!"

"I was being sarcastic."

 _No, you weren't._

 _Shut up._

Jack rolled his eyes as they continued to walk towards the cafeteria. It was breakfast time, and (like a normal person), they were going to eat. And by 'eat,' Jack meant 'pig out.' He was surprised that the academy had that much food anyway. However, he wasn't complaining because food was a very important part of his life. Yes, a _very_ important part of his life.

A tiny part of Jack felt like if there was anyone (besides Jack himself) that could charm someone like, say, Elsa on a date, it would be Hans. Hans could be very charming when he wanted to be—because if he wasn't, what explained how Hans got A's and B's in his classes when he skived most of them off most of the time? And that perfect attendance record. _Puh-lease._ No wizardry or witchcraft in the world could get Hans in his seat for every class.

Not that Jack had anything _against_ Hans. He was a great friend, not as good as Flynn, of course, but were any of them really 'good'?

"Man, you gotta get your life together."

Jack's head snapped up. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

"No." Flynn rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I told you get your life together."

"Actually, you said—"

"—are you going to keep arguing with me?"

" _Or_ you could give in like a _sane person_ —"

"—so you're implying that I'm not sane, person who has a voice inside his head?"

"That's _so_ not the point!" Jack fumed. "If you opened your ears for five seconds, I reckon your head would explode from all the information you failed to take in!"

"I'm not the one failing math. And English. And Science. And History—"

"—I'm not failing them!"

"Of course you're not."

Jack shot a fierce glare at Flynn that Flynn _completely_ ignored because he was Flynn, ever so oblivious.

Sometimes, it was _stupidly_ hard being him.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You said you had the date in the bag!"

Hans force his face to remain calm as Naveen crowed at him through a bite of ham sandwich (they were in the cafeteria). Some friend. Hans took a deep breath. His ego had taken quite a blow after his failed attempt at winning a date with Elsa. There was just something about her. She wasn't like most girls. Sometimes, in French class (mind you, the _only_ class he had with her, but that was okay because Hans was the happy-go-lucky type), he could see her eyes sparkle like deadly icicles while the rest of her remained calm, as if she had wanted to say something but hadn't brought up the courage to—as opposed to the other half of the class (because really, Hans was one of the only guys in French...and why did he take French again?) who acted like dumb idiots half the time.

And yes, Hans knew that being dumb was the same as being an idiot, but don't judge his word choices.

French was actually one of the few classes that Hans attended. Actually, that was a lie—sort of. In the beginning, Hans _had_ skived off his classes. But after a while, he realized he didn't want to be some dumb jock—like half of the school—so he made an attempt at his classes. However, he started the rumors that he didn't go to his classes just because—hello, he had this reputation to keep up.

It wasn't always easy, and the classes were _really_ boring (but at least that meant that he knew the stuff [in his case]), but he would do it.

He hadn't been sure when he had first had feelings for the quiet girl who sat in the back of the classroom, near the windows (which probably drew the least attention, so he was willing to bet that she had lots of experience keeping quiet and generally invisible [not a bad idea, really]). He remembered watching her doodle in class—she was quite the skilled artist—and admiring the way she would vigorously tap her pencil against the spine of her French book as she thought about what to sketch next.

He guessed that that was the first time he had really noticed her—okay, and maybe it was also because the teacher had asked a question [Hans couldn't quite recall the question, but it must've been something the students were interested in because everyone had raised their hands]. Well, everyone except Elsa. She hadn't, and that was what brought his attention to her. She hadn't even been paying attention to the teacher—by the looks of it—but he remembered when she had gotten her first test back—a perfect A+, so she must've been quite good at it. Unless she had a photographic memory—which Hans was very interested in because on one hand, would it be an information overload or something?

It was also strange that he sort of had a crush on her because she was so quiet. It wasn't that she wasn't friendly or anything, but with the vibes she gave off, no one openly went to talk to her or anything—unless forced to with some class assignment. But her talking would be minimal—Hans only noticed because he really noticed _her._ Her talking was quiet, but it was like his ears were tuned to her quiet, musical voice. She was intriguing. Hans also knew that Jack wouldn't want anything to do with the girl—because last Hans had heard, Jack had been friends (not close friends or anything, mind you, but friends) with the girl.

There was also something about Elsa that made Hans nervous. He would stutter and stammer and lose his nerve whenever he thought he had mustered up the courage to talk to her. Partly it was because he had no idea, really, how she was—he _wanted_ to get to know her, of course, but they sat at pretty far ends of the French classroom, and he couldn't just stare at her through his lunch time and be deemed a psycho.

His cheeks colored as he thought of the time he had asked her out, only a few minutes ago...

 _Hans entered the library. He had an book that was nearly overdue, and he had to return it or face a punishment (probably some chastisement and some detention) from the librarian or someone in charge. Hans wasn't usually the type to hang onto his library books for a while, but this book had been for his Science class, where they had been studying the human anatomy. Hans had wanted to get a good grade because so far, science was his worst class, so he had checked out the book. Sure, he could've used the internet, but it would've made him look dedicated and stuff if he was caught holding a book like that and stuff_ — _and you know, the girls were always impressed._

 _The librarian looked up briefly to catch his eye, her grey eyes twinkling with amusement, as if she knew he was here. Judging by his flushed cheeks and the book laden in his arms, he knew it was probably pretty blatant. He handed over the book and flashed his student ID card at her, even though it was probably quite obvious who he was_ _—before stowing the ID back in his pocket._

 _His intense jade green eyes searched the library. He usually observed his surroundings (a trick his father had taught him), and nothing out of the ordinary caught his eye._

 _Except the slim girl entering the library._

 _Blink, and you might miss her. Han's breath spiked out in a raspy puff as his head whirled around to the girl. Elsa Wynters. Gorgeous and delicate as, well, as snowflake. She was beautiful, with her winter-like good looks, she might've just stepped off a movie of_ The Snow Queen _or something. Her eyes were a piercing blue, and she was carrying a book, though Hans could not decipher the lacy writing on the cover._

 _He wondered if he had been the only one that noticed her._

 _He stared at her, a million thoughts racing through his mind (most of them panicked), but a sudden thud brought him back to his senses. She had dropped the book as a couple thundered past her, the girl giggling and the boy smirking, as if they had done some naughty deed. Hans couldn't help but come over to her side and pick up the book (his mother had always taught him to be a gentleman). "You alright there?" he murmured, not wanting to scare the girl away._

 _Her wide blue eyes surveyed him. A look of faintly masked distaste crossed her features, followed by hesitance. Then, a slow smile curled onto her lips, though she looked as if she wanted to get away. He handed her the book and stepped back a fraction, letting her know that he wasn't going to attack her or anything. She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." She wrinkled her nose. "Hans, was it?"_

 _He nodded. "Yeah. You're...Elsa." Then, like the blubbering idiot he was, he said the first thing that came to mind: "Jack talks about you."_

 _Elsa's eyes widened, though from surprise or horror or rage Hans could not decipher. "Oh." Her voice was soft, lined with a hint of steel._

 _"Nothing bad," he said quickly, slightly taken aback. "I, um, I..." Aren't you proud of his wide vocabulary?_

 _"Yes?" Her crystal-like eyes watched him expectantly._

 _"I was, um, wondering, um, if y-y-you'd like to, well..."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"What's the best movie to watch around here?" he blurted out, feeling his face warm up._

 _Elsa blinked, frowning slightly. "Well, I guess it depends on what you like..."_

 _"What about that new science fiction movie?"_

 _She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I'm not really into science fiction. But if you like it, go ahead."_

 _"Uhm, how about that new horror movie?"_

 _Elsa frowned. "I don't exactly like horror movies. They are often unrealistic and focus on blood and guts." Her tone was matter-of-fact._

 _Hans stared at her, slightly dumbfounded. Um...what? He cleared his throat and mumbled, "Oh, okay. Well...see you around."_

 _Hans saw Rapunzel peeking through a bookshelf and groaning as she caught up with Elsa. Hans stowed his hands away in his pockets, face burning._

 _That was certainly a disaster._

"I wasn't rejected!" Hans protested. "She didn't get it."

Naveen smirked. "What's not to get? All you had to do was ask her on a date."

"Um..."

Naveen groaned. "Don't tell me you bailed!"

"I didn't bail!" Hans defended, slightly offended at the thought. He tried not to show it and instead smoothed his face into a carefully composed expression. "I asked her what movie she would've liked to see, and she didn't get it! She actually gave me her opinion, and it just—it didn't work out, okay? But technically, I didn't bail... I tried, okay? She's just..."

Naveen groaned. "So you didn't even ask the girl out."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!"

"Oh?" Naveen made a face. "All you had to do was go up to her, look her right in the eyes, and say, 'Hey, you wanna go out on a date with me some time?' There really isn't much complicated about it!"

"You weren't there! Don't you dare judge!"

"Of course I wasn't there—else you would've gotten a date." Naveen let out a long sigh. "Why must I do everything?"

"Are you saying I can't get a date on my own?"

"Um...no. No? No."

"Yes, you are! You implied it!"

Hans turned away rather crossly from Naveen though he wasn't really mad, not really. A deep sigh resonated from the back of his throat. Somehow, his disastrous attempt at asking out Elsa gave him a sense of hope. There was something about the way that she didn't catch on...it reminded him of his childhood, in a weird way. No...it reminded him...of innocence.

It hit him like a tidal wave. Innocence. That was what Hans always felt when he turned towards Elsa. She seemed so pure, so innocent. Of course, no one could be completely innocent—but there was something about the way she moved and the way she spoke that reminded him of innocence. He had realized that he had been searching for that all along. Elsa was...special. Maybe that was a cliched line, but it was true.

Hans' face must've been doing something because Naveen waved a hand in front of his face. "Dude...are you...out of it?"

It took Hans a moment to recollect. "No," he said, very adamantly. "I'm...fine." His voice was softer somehow. Strange.

"You sure?"

Hans nodded. His gaze scanned the cafeteria until it landed on Rapunzel, more specifically, the girl next to Rapunzel. Hans was mesmerized. Ever since he found the word to describe Elsa (or what his depiction of her was), it was like he felt he knew her even more. A few conversations was all they had, but she was the perfect picture of innocence.

Except for the hard, frustrated look in her eyes.

Hans frowned, wondering what on earth was going on in her life. Then, her face relaxed, though her eyes still held that tight, distrusting expression, and a smile lit up her perfect lips. She looked fine, she looked perfect. Posed. Fake. That was what it was. He frowned, wondering what demons lay in her world. Beyond that carefully composed mask, was it possible something deeper lay behind her? Was this what Jack meant when Jack had complained about how he wasn't able to figure her out? And was Hans the only one noticing her? How many times had she carefully put that facade out?

Or maybe he was imagining things. Because right now, her eyes were bright and happy. A fluke. That was all he saw.

"Dude, stop staring at Elsa like a gawking idiot. Besides, Jack's here."

Hans' head turned sharply towards the seats opposite of him, and he saw Jack and Flynn slip into those seats casually. "I totally deserved an A on that exam!" Jack was protesting as Flynn shook his head ruefully. Hans couldn't help but exchange a rueful glance with Flynn, who rolled his eyes as Jack continued. "I mean, I got almost every question correct!"

"You mean almost every question wrong?" Flynn said sharply.

Naveen snickered. "Or did you mistake that girl's—what was her name?—paper?"

"I did _not!"_ Jack said hotly. "And her name was Jacquelyn."

"Surprising how you can remember the smart girl in your class yet you can't remember most—cough, cough, I mean _any,_ cough, cough, of your flings."

"I _do_ remember them!" Jack blinked. "Well...one had curly hair. And one had brown eyes. Or was it hazel..?"

"You are _so_ lost," Hans remarked.

Jack glared. "Hey, I'm not good with names!"

"That totally explains that notebook full of conquests you have," Flynn said dryly.

"I don't have a notebook full of conquests!" Jack protested.

Naveen shook his head. "Dude, it's like you forget about the girl after you've had the fling. That's messed up. Now me and Tiana—"

"—shut up," Jack interjected. "No one cares about your perfect love life. Besides," Jack said, sniffing obnoxiously, "a perfect love life is cliche. It's boring."

Naveen scowled. "Jealous much?"

"Come on," Jack said, rolling his frosty orbs. "If anyone's jealous, it's you. And if your love life is so perfect, isn't it awfully boring?" Naveen hesitated, which made Jack smirk more like the foolish guy he was. Hans couldn't help but shake his head in wonder. For someone so popular, Jack had an ego bigger than the academy—or, well, the world, if he was being honest.

"It's not _boring,"_ Naveen said, offended. "It's great, she's great. Dude, you're _really_ not good with commitment."

"I just—haven't..." Jack shrugged in his devil-may-care way. "The variety isn't that high at this school."

Hans' eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Jack smiled, soaking up the shock value. "Yeah, well, if you look at it," he argued, "they're practically all the same—and that _hardly_ counts as a good variety."

Hans scoffed. "I can't tell whether you have high standards or low standards?"

"Maybe it's a bit of both," Jack said defensively.

Hans took a deep breath, shaking his head. Honestly, it was beyond him how Jack had so many admirers considering he treated most of them like dirt. Of course, maybe it was _because_ Jack treated people like dirt that made him so desirable ( _not_ that Hans personally found Jack desirable—he could just see how he could be). It spiced up Jack's character, it made him more interesting.

...maybe Hans should've taken a few lessons.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You. Are. _The. Most. Clueless._ Person. I. Have. _Ever._ Met."

Elsa let out a gusty sigh as she glanced over at Rapunzel. They were currently in the library, though judging by those not-so-subtle glares the librarian was shooting in Elsa's direction (and maybe Rapunzel too because Rapunzel had a very talkative, very _vivacious_ personality that was well known throughout the school), Elsa doubted they would be here much longer. _Three strikes, and you're out._ Elsa smiled ruefully at the thought. If a strike counted as a glare, she was well over out.

However, Elsa let her attention drift back to the ever expectant Rapunzel. "What are you talking about? Was it that history quiz?"

Rapunzel then—quite unnecessarily—grabbed the first book she saw and began whacking her face with it. Elsa hastily grabbed the book out of Rapunzel's hands, carefully setting it down and steering Rapunzel away from the bookshelf. "History quiz? Seriously, Elsa?" Rapunzel said, letting out an exaggerated groan. Elsa only glanced over curiously at Rapunzel as she sifted through the books in her bag.

"What?" Elsa said defensively. "I wasn't sure if I wrote the correct way the Roman army—"

"—who cares about the Roman army?!"

"Well, I actually find it quite interesting, you know. Julius Caesar in particular had such a gruesome—"

 _"Elsa!"_

"Shh," Elsa murmured. "Any louder, and we'll be kicked out of here."

Rapunzel glared. "Then maybe it'll get through your thick skull."

"Whatever are you talking about? Ooh, _Reboot._ Haven't read this in a while... HEY, Rapunzel, that's _my_ book!"

"Listen to me!" Rapunzel said, clearly exasperated. But she handed back the book, which thankfully was unharmed. Elsa sent a silent prayer of relief before fixing her eyes expectantly on the girl. She just hoped that Rapunzel would _calm down._ After the 'screaming fights' with Jack in the library, Elsa didn't want to be given a permanent ban, much less because of Rapunzel. The library had a great selection of books.

"I'm listening, I'm listening," Elsa muttered, slightly irked—but if it would get Rapunzel to quiet down, she was all for it.

"What do you know about boys?"

"Next to nothing."

"God, no wonder." Rapunzel face palmed, and Elsa's body tensed up, ready to move Rapunzel out of range of any of the books. She didn't want a repeat of the 'whacking book against face' session. "You know earlier?" Rapunzel said, her tone flat and emotionless. Her tone could rival a robot's. However, it was the fierce, feverish look glazed over Rapunzel's light green eyes that made Elsa frown.

Elsa watched her curiously. "What?"

"When Hans was talking to you..?"

"Oh. What about it?"

"'What about it,' she says," Rapunzel said, groaning. "He was asking you out!"

"No, he wasn't," Elsa said, frowning. "He was asking movies. And honestly, he doesn't have very good taste. I mean, science fiction is just _so_ —" Elsa stopped short as she watched Rapunzel's expression grow more and more incredulous with each word that escaped her lips. Puzzled, Elsa tilted her head, much like a confused puppy. "Rapunzel," Elsa said gently, "he was asking about _movies."_

"So he could see what you liked to ask you out!" Rapunzel finished incredulously. "For such a smart person, Elsa, you just—I—oh God..."

Elsa frowned. "Why couldn't he just ask?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Because he's a _guy_ —they have naturally slow brains. Anyway, he's cute. Would you have accepted?"

"Er...probably not."

"Why not?"

"He's not my type."

"Then who is?"

"Er...is no one an answer?" Elsa blushed crimson as Rapunzel groaned. "Come on, Rapunzel, I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"Yeah, well, you can't _not_ have a type," Rapunzel grumbled. "What about Jack?"

"Are you _serious?"_ Elsa narrowed her eyes. Why was it that every time she had a conversation with anyway (her self-conscience didn't count) that Jack was mentioned? Was God _trying_ to torture her? Okay, maybe torture was a bit out there. But just because she didn't hate Jack's guts anymore didn't mean she liked hearing about him every _five seconds._ Like seriously? Did people even have lives?

Rapunzel rolled her jade-colored eyes and burst out into a fit of giggles. "Of course not! You should've seen your face! You looked _horrified!"_

"Um, that's because I _was_ horrified."

Then, Rapunzel laughed out loud as if Elsa had told a funny joke.

...Elsa must be losing her mind.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Wait— _what_ did he ask us to do again?"

Hans glanced at Naveen, shrugging. He wasn't sure how hard Jack hit his head, but he was sure it was pretty serious. Of course, everyone else else thought Jack was crazy, which was completely viable, you know? Because Jack was...um, _Jack Overland._

"He told us to fly! Come on, people! Let's get to it!"

Okay, _one person_ didn't think Jack was insane.

Hans exchanged a look of disbelief with Naveen. Hans directed his gaze back to Pitch. The guy literally _worshipped the ground Jack walked on._ He was also the weirdest person ever. So Jack _wasn't_ the craziest person ever. _Pitch_ was. Pitch Black was _the most annoying_ guy in the universe. He was also absolutely brainless. One of those days, Hans was just waiting for Pitch to just do some outlandish gesture to get noticed by Jack.

...yup, not exactly working.

"And _how,_ pray tell, are we supposed to fly?" Eric said testily, annoyance dripping off his voice.

"We jump off trees, of course!" Pitch said excitedly.

Uh. WHAT.

"We'll break our necks!"

Ugh. Charm. Hans' lip curled in disgust. Okay, okay, it wasn't that he absolutely _loathed_ Charm... Okay, that was _exactly_ it—but it wasn't his fault. Charm was such an attention seeker. Hans had no idea why he was somewhat of a hit with the girls, but it _clearly_ wasn't because the guy was smart. He had the sort of 'I'm better than you' aura around him.

Hans rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with, then."

Naveen's eyes widened. "Why do we have to do this, again?"

"Jack said it was for some school experiment thing," Hans explained, shrugging.

"He said we had to, so let's go do it!"

You can probably guess who said that.

So that's how they all went up to a huge tree. The thing loomed in front of them, and all Hans could think was how cold it was and how grateful he was to have worn his _second_ favorite jeans. Eric cleared his throat and sighed. "I guess...I'll go first?" His teal eyes flashed uncertainly as he gripped the tree and began to climb it. _Ugh._ Hans was _never_ going to follow Jack's orders _ever again._

And why wasn't Jack here to observe his 'experiment' anyway?

Hans began to climb the tree. It honestly wasn't that hard once he got the hang of it. It was quite refreshing actually, and Hans enjoyed the climb.

Of course, the hard part came next.

"I'm not jumping off this tree!" Charm exclaimed.

Hans rolled his eyes. "Then I'll shove you down," he threatened. "If Jack thinks he can get us to fly..." He shook his head, bewildered and not sure exactly why he agreed to do this again. And what was he thinking about again? With a long, drawn-out sigh, Hans tensed his knees. "I'll go first," he declared. _Please, please, please don't let me break my neck._

And he jumped.

His landing was sort of weird. He sort of rolled (which got rid of the force behind the jump) and then landed sort of awkwardly. He didn't really land on his feet like one of those superheroes you see on TV, but he thought it was pretty good for first time jumping off a tree. He glanced up to see the others. He shouted, "I'm fine! Who's going next?"

 **Behind Her Smile**

"I am gonna _kill_ Jack."

Hans nodded appreciatively at Naveen's words. "I know, right? And I'll take his little side kick—that Flynn Rider."

The 'jumping experiment' wasn't a complete failure—and Hans had briefly enjoyed pushing Charm off one or two or nine times off the tree. It hadn't been the worst thing to do, but they would all probably be brought into counseling because of the little stunt. He expected all sorts of 'Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem' and all that crap. Not that suicide wasn't a serious topic, but seriously. If he was going to kill himself, he would be a lot smarter about it. Jumping off a tree? Ridiculous _and_ painful. As if.

And yes, he still had nightmares about _13 Reasons Why._

The only one who seemed to remotely enjoy the experiment was Pitch. But he didn't really count because, you know, insanity tended to mess with the mind.

"There he is!"

Hans looked up to see Jack Overland with Flynn Rider by his side. Hans crossed his arms, glaring at the boy with frost-colored eyes. He shook his head in disbelief. "If we're in counseling later on, I hope you're pleased," Hans said crossly, feeling his annoyance spike as Jack started _laughing._ Boy, he had the nerve to _laugh_ after what he put them through.

"Oh, I enjoyed it very much," Jack said.

"Where were you, then?" Naveen demanded. "We didn't see you."

"We were watching from the roof," Flynn said, smirking. "Good work, Hans. I saw how you shoved Charm off a few times. It was hilarious."

"No, it wasn't," Charm protested. "It was _painful."_

"You're barely scratched!" Hans scoffed. "Get over it!"

Naveen rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna ditch. Later, losers."

After Naveen left, Hans saw no reason to torture himself by staying with Charm or Pitch or _Jack and Flynn_ for obvious reasons, so Hans left soon after. He actually headed to the cafeteria to grab a snack because after climbing and jumping off trees continuously—well, that sort of thing tended to work up an appetite. He grabbed an apple when he saw Elsa sitting at a table, quietly working on something.

 _Go get her!_

 _What! Are you insane?_

 _Go on! She's literally **right there.**_

 _You have a point,_ Hans grudgingly admitted to his self-conscience. He wondered how Elsa would feel about that if she knew...yeah, she'd probably think he was a freak. No problem. It wasn't that hard _not_ to mention it. So Hans strolled over to Elsa's side. He saw her writing down something in a notebook, her handwriting neat and full of curlicues that no one bothered with anymore.

"Is that for French?"

Elsa jumped. She looked up and closed the book, a bit bewildered. "Oh. Er, no. It's just, well, it's something I...I've been working on. I guess."

Hans smiled amiably at her. "Really?"

"Um. Yeah." She squinted. "Hans, right?"

"Yup, we have French together," Hans reminded her, and the girl nodded slowly. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off how uncomfortable he felt. He was still holding his apple, but the bright red fruit now felt too large in his hand. "I, um," he stuttered. Then, lamely, he said, "You want to go on a walk?" She frowned slightly, a bit confused. "With me? If you're up to it? I mean, it's okay if you're not. I just thought I might ask because I kind of felt like going on one, and—"

"— _yes,_ I'll go on a walk with you," Elsa interrupted, a slight twinkle in her eyes.

He smiled, feeling both relieved and stupid. Relieved she hadn't rejected him, stupid because _what the heck was about that rambling he was just doing?_

"Alright," he said, smiling. "After you."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You think they're a thing _now?"_

"Naw. She's probably just too polite to refuse."

"Ah, so you _were_ eavesdropping."

"How could you not! There was barely anybody in the room!'

Flynn shook his head ruefully. "Jack, if you didn't want to listen, you wouldn't have. I mean, you don't listen to Mr. Pabbie in his classes."

Jack rolled his frost-colored eyes. "Yeah, well, I can be curious about how Hans does his stuff. I mean, he was laying it a bit flat. He _really_ sucks at the whole flirting thing. It was just so _awkward._ Did you see him rambling? And I bet you anything she knew it was just as awkward." Jack shook his head ruefully. "And she probably only agreed to shut him up."

"She could've refused," Flynn pointed out.

"Yeah, but then, they'd have a really awkward silence," Jack told him.

Flynn shook his head in amazement. "You know, I think I overheard Mr. Pabbie wanting you guys to do another play since the first one did so successfully." Jack's jaw dropped in the _are you serious?_ sort of way, and Flynn grinned. "I heard he wanted you two to perform one of the classics because, and I quote, 'They have so much energy and such great chemistry.'"

"Did you forget that we once hated each other?" Jack said incredulously. "And besides, we're not even that close. We're friends, but...that's it. Not close."

Flynn shrugged. "Yeah, well, hate is a strong emotion. With all the passion behind it—"

"Ew, gross, we're in the cafeteria, and I want to eat something—don't make me lose my lunch."

"You know, I don't get how you're not obese yet. Hell, every night when you came to my house for dinner, you demanded ice cream. I don't see how you aren't some—some obese monster!"

Jack smirked. He didn't understand the mechanics of that, either. "Dude, remember: born godly."

"Gross, I'm trying to _eat,_ Jack."

Jack snorted. "All you think about is your stomach!"

"Hey!" Flynn said indignantly. "All _you_ ever think about is your stomach!"

Jack scoffed. "No, I devote five percent to my hair. You don't think it looks this good on its own, do you?" Jack said sarcastically. Then, he grabbed a slice of pizza and chomped off a third of it. "I don't even get how the academy still has so much food. Where do they get it from? And it's not the really _fancy_ stuff either. But not the cheap kind." Jack paused. "It's the _good_ kind."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Oh, you _just_ noticed?"

Jack took another ridiculously large chomp. "Mmm."

"You shouldn't eat that much," Flynn said.

"Seriously?"

"Just looking out for your health, man," Flynn said, smiling.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. Besides, I've been feasting like this for _forever._ I don't think my 'health' is going to change or anything if I eat another pizza or two or eight, alright?" He finished off the pizza and worked on the crust—this was the _good_ kind of crust. Crunchy and smooth under the tongue and just _plain delicious._ It was really a piece of heaven. If only there was some pepperoni or sausage on it...but you take what you can get.

"All that stuff you're eating is dripping in fat," Flynn said, scoffing.

"Look who's talking!" Jack retorted. Flynn was holding two pizzas stacked on top of each other—and the whole thing was wrapped in bacon and topped with a few sausages, some fries, and—oh yeah: an ice cream sundae. Jack wasn't even sure _where_ Flynn had gotten the food without him paying attention. But then again, this _was_ Flynn we were talking about.

Flynn scoffed and stuffed his face. "Pure fat? This is _pure deliciousness."_

"Pure sugar, and I can sense you having diabetes," Jack scoffed before reaching for another slice of pizza.

Flynn sniffed. "How dare you. That's low. And pathetic."

"What's pathetic is your 'so-called' comeback," Jack told him cheerfully. "Now somebody get me some fried dough."

Flynn shook his head, amazed, but he joined Jack in his search for donuts.

 **Behind Her Smile**

It wasn't that Elsa thought Hans was a bad guy. On the contrary, he was very nice and very charming and, really, he wasn't that bad a looker, either, but it was just the simple fact that though some might find him handsome and attractive, well...okay, she'd be lying if she said she didn't think he was attractive because he _was._ She just wasn't _attracted_ to him. That was all.

But, he was nice company—a nice break from Anna's cluelessness, Rapunzel's talkative persona, and Jack's...er, well, everything.

But it wasn't like they had a _ton_ of things to talk about—having not really talked much at all. She wasn't sure what brought him to talk to her, and ask her on a walk, and she found her thoughts drifting to Rapunzel's earlier words about Hans trying to ask her out on a date. Elsa wasn't sure what to make of it. She didn't _think_ Hans was really going to do anything of the sort... But then again, she wasn't really good in the subject of boys and doubted she ever would be.

But since the guy was obviously trying to make conversation, she doubted that it would be right to just ignore his attempts.

"You're pretty good at French, aren't you?"

"Huh? Well..." Elsa shrugged. "I guess it's fine. It's sort of interesting, really."

He smiled. "Maybe you could tutor me." His smile turned sheepish. "I am _so_ lost."

She wasn't sure how to respond to the comment. "Why'd you decide to take French?" she inquired. Hans frowned slightly, and Elsa bit her lip. "Was it because you have to learn a language at one point or another?" Elsa guessed, and Hans' answering smile was bright, so she guessed she got the answer correct. She grinned. "But why not Spanish or something?"

"I don't know," Hans admitted. "I guess there was something about the French people I found fascinating." He smiled. "Or France. Paris. I thought it'd be pretty cool to speak in French when I go there someday, you know, and impress everyone when I order some fancy cuisine or something." He grinned. "And I guess it'd be easier to swear in French because the majority of the school learns Spanish or something." His tone was teasing, though.

Elsa smiled. "Have you always wanted to go to Paris?"

"Who doesn't?" Hans smiled softly. "I always wanted to climb the Eiffel Tower."

"Is that why you were jumping off trees earlier?"

Hans blushed as crimson as his hair. He smiled sort of sheepishly. "You heard about that... Yeah, well, it was for an experiment—for Jack." Elsa groaned inwardly. Why was Jack always mentioned in a conversation? Then, the rest of the sentence came to her. Her eyes widened, and Hans smiled. "He didn't say for what experiment, but..." He shrugged. "Jack is a bit out there."

"You're friends with him?"

"I guess," Hans said. "Not that close, but yeah. Or, at least, we have mutual friends at the least. You?"

"Er, sort of." Elsa shrugged. "He's a massive jerk most of the time. And sometimes...he's actually kind of nice. But then again, he's also a huge jerk."

Hans grinned, obviously delighted. "Yeah, well, I guess you've heard of his reputation?"

"That's the part that disgusts me the most," Elsa scoffed. "He treats girls like dirt. And honestly, I wouldn't really call us 'friends.' I mean, distant friends at best..." Elsa frowned. Somehow, those words didn't feel right on her tongue. If she was being honest, Jack wasn't really much of a jerk anymore—at least to her. He was funny and joking and— _get back on track, Elsa._ "I just don't get why he thinks he's, like, a God or something."

"I agree," Hans conceded.

A strange silence filled the air as they walked, and Elsa desperately groped for a topic inside her head. She wasn't sure what exactly to do because...she had no idea who this guy was—apart from his name and the fact that they had French together—so yeah. The air was awkward, and she was trying _very hard_ to ignore that. Elsa swallowed hard.

Then, she said, "Well, I should get working. I've got a project."

"Oh, okay."

Elsa was wondering if he was going to say something like 'see you around' or something like that, but he just stood there...staring at her. It was kind of really creepy. Who did that sort of thing? Or did he just do this all the time? "Okay," Elsa muttered, brushing past the weird guy. She figured she could fill Rapunzel in on everything that just went on...if she even knew where the girl was anyway. It seemed as if she was at multiple places at once, which, quite frankly, was kind of creepy. But that was just Rapunzel for you.

"Elsa?"

Elsa's heart raced, but her blood returned to normal when she recognized the voice. She turned to see Jack Overland. Sigh. And here she was thinking she wouldn't see him for the rest of the day. Actually, really, she wasn't thinking that... Elsa was surprised when she smiled at him. "Hey, Jack." Was that even her speaking? Maybe it just felt weird for her to be sort of dissing him in front of someone then being all friendly to him. Yeah, that must be it.

Jack smiled at her. "Was that Hans you were just with?" Was there an edge to his voice? And why?

"Yeah," Elsa said, a bit weirded out. "Why?"

"No reason," Jack said breezily.

"Hey, did you ask Hans to jump off a tree for your 'experiment'?"

"Oh." Jack blushed. Elsa was sure she had never seen him blush. "Oh, that."

"Yes, _that,"_ Elsa scoffed.

He smiled. "Sort of."

She stared incredulously. "How do you _sort of_ ask someone to jump off a tree!"

"Actually, it was Flynn who asked him," Jack corrected, smirking in that superior air he always had around him.

 _"Jack."_ Elsa groaned.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Jack protested. Then, he smiled sheepishly at her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans. "Well, sort of. Anyway, it was very entertaining. They all just climbed up a tree and then jumped off like crazy idiots. Flynn and I—man, we'll have some good stories to tell later. Of course, it was _I_ who came up with the idea because you know, me being brilliant and all."

"Wait—it _wasn't_ just Hans? _Jack..."_

"Don't _Jack_ me," Jack huffed. "They didn't even get hurt!"

"Ugh, I just don't know what to do with you," Elsa groaned. Then, she started walking away.

"Hey, Elsa—ELSA, wait up!"

She froze as his fingers circled around her wrist. His fingers were warm, which surprised her (because he always reminded her of winter and snow and ice and—well, you get the deal). She turned, surprised, and glanced at him. He seemed slightly flustered, slightly embarrassed as he released her hand. Her wrist remained warm where he had touched her. Where had that warmth come from?

"I thought you were cold blooded," she teased.

He grinned. "You wouldn't be the first."

"And I certainly won't be the last," she declared. "Anyway, I need to find Rapunzel."

"Why? Is my company too stellar for you?"

She scoffed. "As if. Bye...Jack."

"See ya 'round."

When she glanced back at him, he was staring right at her. He sort of looked like he wanted to do something, but he wasn't sure. Since when was _Jack Overland_ unsure about something? She shrugged and walked away, heading towards Rapunzel's room (and praying that Rapunzel would be in there). She rubbed her wrist, feeling the lingering traces of warmth between her fingertips.

She smiled softly, to herself, and then knocked on the door.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack stared off after Elsa 'Snow Queen' Wynters, feeling dumbfounded. He glanced at his fingers. He had _touched_ her. He had surprised himself by the gesture. He closed his eyes, trying to picture the electric jolt that went through his fingers that made him stop and think about what happened. Maybe...it was just...shock? He had sort of expected her to feel like ice. She wasn't quite there, but she wasn't exactly warm, either.

"Who just stands—in the middle of the hall, no less—with their eyes closed?"

Jack's eyes shot open. He saw Flynn watching him with an amused look.

"Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?" Flynn said, obviously going to mess with him.

Jack rolled his eyes. Flynn's sudden—and very unwanted—arrival had distracted him from his train of thought. Jack glanced back down at his hand briefly, and he tried to remember what on earth had happened. A soft sigh escaped his lips, surprising him. And judging by the look on Flynn's face, Jack wasn't the only one surprised by the sudden noise.

"You alright?" Flynn's tone was now soft. "Anything up?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Nothing's up," Jack grumbled.

"I heard it's going to snow tomorrow," Flynn said.

Jack groaned aloud. "Ugh! I hate snow!" Despite his frosty demeanor (though, really, he had a very charming demeanor), he really didn't like snow or the cold or winter very much...for very personal reasons. And again, Jack wondered why the heck did he choose Rosethorn Academy if it was going to snow. Gah, curse God or whoever was in control of the weather.

Flynn looked amused now. "Don't we all know that?"

"Thanks for ruining my good mood," Jack said, scowling.

"In my defense," Flynn said, "I'm not entirely sure. But I have a feeling it will."

 _Ugh! I hate it when it snows!_

"Look at your face—you're really upset, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!"

Then, Flynn had the audacity to _laugh._ Ugh, jerk. _Why isn't he taking my anger more seriously?_

 _I agree with Flynn._

 _Shut up, you good-for-nothing, self-conscience. If you love Flynn so much, go hop into his mind and torture **his** conscience._

 _Hmph. You don't appreciate me enough._

 _Maybe if you'd shut up I would._

Jack shook his head darkly at Flynn. The guy was just so _irritating_ sometimes. God, Jack would swap out Flynn for Elsa right now...and not just because he wanted to test out the 'electric jolt' thing. Ha, and Elsa accused him of not thinking so many things. Boy would she be surprised if she took a look into his mind right now... Actually, that might not be a very good idea right now seeing as he was thinking about something that had to do with _her._

"Don't bother me right now," Jack grumbled.

"Better get out your winter gear," Flynn joked.

"I'm going to hit you if you don't leave," Jack threatened, but Flynn only laughed like a hyena because of course, Jack couldn't actually injure Flynn or anything like that. Stupid Flynn. Ugh. Why couldn't Jack have a best friend that was easy to manipulate? Of course, where was the fun in that? Jack and Flynn joked around and acted like crazy, but they were still brothers—maybe not blood-related brothers but still brothers.

"Sure you will," Flynn choked out after finishing his bout of laughter.

"Stop it," Jack said, shoving Flynn in the shoulder lightly.

Flynn smirked. "Is that the best you've got?"

Jack rolled his eyes and started walking. Flynn followed like the annoying stalker he was, falling into step with Jack easily. Jack glanced over at his side and scoffed but was unable to stop a small smile on his face from spreading. "You are _really_ annoying," Jack said. He huffed and added, "And you're going to be the death of me, Flynn Rider."

Flynn winked. "What a pleasure."

"You don't have to be a sarcastic broom."

"You don't have to be an egotistical, arrogant, snarky mop."

"Hey!" Jack protested. "I only used _one_ adjective!"

"Not my fault you don't have a wide vocabulary."

Jack rolled his eyes at Flynn, thoroughly annoyed. Flynn knew how hard to push each and every single button on Jack. It was annoying. But, of course, Jack supposed that he could read Flynn pretty easily as well, so there was that. Jack begrudgingly admitted it inside his head but had no intention of saying it out loud. He sniffed and said, "Is your life really so sad you have to stalk me?"

"I'm not stalking you!" Flynn said in mock-hurt. "I'm just looking out for you, brother." But there was a genuine note in his voice.

"Oh, is _that_ what they call being a creep these days?" Jack said sarcastically, unable to prevent a smirk from spreading across his lips. He whacked Flynn lightly on the side, and Flynn smirked—of course, Flynn could never reach the level that Jack had with his smirks. Jack even had a personal title he called himself _because_ of his smirks: _King of Smirks._ Or was it _Lord of Smirks?_ He wasn't quite sure—you know, he _did_ have quite a few things to keep track of: AKA food and his hair gel.

He was joking, just joking...sort of.

Then, Flynn tackled him—yes, TACKLED him—for no reason, and then, they ended up doing some sort of childish wrestling game—that Jack won (obviously!). Flynn ended up fuming about it afterwards because hello, who _wouldn't?_ Of course, Flynn should've considered it an honor to have lost to the great Jack Overland (like a normal person would).

"I won!" Jack said childishly.

"Only because I tripped!" Flynn fumed.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Nah, you didn't trip. Pure clumsiness made you lose—what can I say? You were born with it. Whereas me— _I_ was born with—"

"—a big fat egotistical head!" Flynn rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I heard that chick Aurora wanted you."

Jack wrinkled his nose in distaste. "What?"

"I know, right!" Flynn said cheerfully. "I mean, with both of your combined egos, there would be no room for a relationship!"

"Excuse YOU."

"Hey, only speaking the truth, man," Flynn said, smirking.

"Why you..."

Jack suddenly wished he had a hammer that he could clock Flynn over the head with. Flynn was being utterly _ridiculous_ about the ego thing... Well, yeah, Jack knew he had a big ego—but that was only because others kept feeding it. Did he _ask_ to be acknowledged like a God (well, sort of, but that wasn't the point)? No. Did he _ask_ for everyone to worship him? No. But it just happened. Now, Aurora was a nice girl and all...but she had a really high voice that was _supremely_ annoying.

Yeah, maybe Flynn had a point.

Not that Jack would ever admit that to him because Flynn would _never_ let him live it down.

And then, Jack was reminded of that electric jolt again, because someone walked past them with a book about electricity. Did Elsa feel it, too? Or was it just him? Maybe Jack should've asked to borrow that book...and study about it. Pah, nah, too much work. If he wanted to do that much work, he wouldn't be failing—er, NOT that he was failing because, you know, he was all awesome and stuff, and what the heck was he even talking about again?

Then, Flynn made a rude comment about Jack's hair.

Oh, he was _so_ going down.

No one messed with Jack's hair.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Thank _God,_ Rapunzel. For a minute there, I thought you wouldn't be here."

The green eyed girl smiled. "Nope. I'm here. Come on in, my frosty companion."

Elsa smiled softly a she entered Rapunzel's room. Rapunzel's room was fairly simple. There for a few items scattered across the place, and there were messy piles of papers, books, paperclips, and about anything else Rapunzel could get her hands on. Elsa took a seat and clasped her hands together as Rapunzel lay on her bed, stomach to the sheets, arms propped up with her chin resting in the palm of her hand, legs swaying back and forth in the air, an expectant look in her light-green eyes.

Elsa took a deep breath. "Earlier, Hans just...asked me if I wanted to go on a walk with him."

Rapunzel raised a brow. "What?"

"It was the weirdest thing ever—but I wasn't sure how to say no..." Elsa bit her lip. "So...I said yes."

Rapunzel groaned. "If this situation wasn't so ridiculous, I might be laughing right now."

"So...what does he want?"

"Geez, Elsa, I don't know, maybe he wants to _get to know you?"_ Rapunzel said almost mockingly. She shook her head and flipped over so she was lying down on her back on the bed. She sighed. "I don't know _how_ you survived with me. I mean...seriously? Elsa, obviously, Hans likes you and wants to build up some courage to ask you out. Of course, right now, he's taking baby steps."

"Isn't that...a bit weird?" Elsa pondered.

Rapunzel snorted. "So is your intricate way of seeing all of this. How do _you_ see it?"

Elsa thought about it. "Well...I don't know... It just feels...I don't know, weird."

Rapunzel cracked a smile. "Don't be shocked. Weird is good. Or, at least, it's normal. Guys are always weird." That was a statement Elsa had to agree with. "It's against human nature if guys are normal," Rapunzel joked. Then, she shot a look of disdain towards a particularly large book. "Ugh, got that history test coming up. I don't know _how_ I'll survive." Rapunzel was shooting a pleading look at Elsa.

Elsa grinned, catching the hint. "I'll help you."

"Thank you," Rapunzel breathed. "You are a _lifesaver."_

Elsa tapped the cover of the book. "So, have you even opened this?" she remarked as she opened the book. She was shocked as a layer of dust escaped the pages, causing her to blink a few times. Then, three quick sneezes followed in quick succession. Rapunzel had an amused, sheepish expression on her face, and Elsa raised a brow. "Wow, I'm guessing never."

Rapunzel looked defense. "I have... Maybe once...or twice. To hide the fact that I was using my phone."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "And you think _I'm_ lost. Come on. Let's start."

It was strange how quickly they changed subjects from boys and their weird habits to studying about the upcoming history test. However, it wasn't like Elsa was complaining. She was no expert in the category of boys, which made her uncomfortable. She didn't like _not_ knowing things, but boys? She didn't really see the purpose of needing to know their boyish habits.

Boys generally all acted the same, really. Some just showed their colors more than others.

...and in Jack's case, he showcased them all.

As Rapunzel eased herself off her bed to head over to the book, Elsa couldn't help but think about Jack and the way he had touched her. No, it wasn't just that. It had been...the look in his eyes. That had been the factor—the surprising factor. She hadn't paid much attention to it earlier, but...he had looked _nervous._ And Jackson Overland did not look _nervous._ It was just weird and wrong and just...

Maybe she was losing her mind.

"Maybe you should just go talk to him."

Elsa's eyes widened. Did Rapunzel just say that? Or was that a figment of her imagination?

But Rapunzel was busy looking at the book with a bored, slightly frantic expression.

Yup, she was definitely losing her mind.

* * *

 **QotD: Have you watched AGT? Who's your favorite act?**

* * *

 **A/N: Ugh, I am NOT pleased with how this chapter turned out. Firstly, it was all over the place. I was doing Hans' POV, Elsa's POV, Jack's POV in all sorts of crazy rotations. And I just absolutely LOATHED the way the chapter ended. Now, this chapter IS important. It's a tiny building block. The good news is that I've altered the outline, so the drama should be coming up soon. I ended up merging some chapters so I could focus a few chapters solely on a few things. Chapter 17 in particular is going to be VERY important. We're going to be exploring more of Jack's background.  
**

 **Now, I'm sorry if I'm updating extremely slowly. I wrote, like, half of it today. Life has been a bit hectic, but if I'm being honest, I'd blame it on me being the lazy fool I am. Honestly. After I upload a chapter, I just chill for, like, two weeks before starting to work on the next chapter. I'm trying to change that (obviously), but you know...it gets hard.**

 **Now, the drama really intensifies soon. Chapter 10 in particular is a sort of turning point (ish). And then more drama leading up to more things as the chapters progress. The next chapter is particularly important, and it's going to deal with loss and such. It's hard for me to write without some sort of humor (sarcastic or not), and really, humor isn't really...I don't think it would be appropriate to put humor in the next chapter. So it might take a bit longer. Maybe I'll put some in the beginning.**

 **Now, I would say that the next chapter would be a harder chapter to write. The next ones should be easier (I hope) seeing as the outlines I have for the rest of the chapters are WAY longer. You've probably noticed that I haven't been adding a lot of scenes where they are actually AT school. Don't worry, that's definitely going to be for the next chapter.**

 **Also, should I write more in Hans POV? Not _too_ much, of course, but he plays a role... Well, he's definitely not going to have one in the next chapter. I know that.**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	9. Hovering

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Hovering**

* * *

 **"Sometimes I wonder, if everything changed, h** **ow would we make out?** **And now suddenly thunder, and everything changed.** **There's this big dark cloud, hovering." - Excerpt from _Hovering,_ Miley Cyrus ft. Trace Cyrus**

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, this chapter. Now it's quite important plot wise seeing as there are several key points to this chapter. It took me a while to actually write this (over the span of the month I took to, that is). I have no idea (okay, I sort of do), but once I got a certain flow, the rest of the chapter came a little...easily. I mean, seriously, I was stuck in the 1000s and 2000s for a _long_ time before I actually mustered the strength to get over that writer's block.  
**

 **You know what else I discovered? If I have a certain event that I _really_ want to write, I'm going to force myself to write up until I reach that point so I can write that brilliant moment down. Now, since this chapter is sort of dark (though there are some light parts, too), it was sort of hard refraining from putting a joke (which would be quite inappropriate in this sort of situation) every other line.**

 **So as I worked through my writer's block, I put all the fun in my 'fun outlet' AKA other humor related fics that I haven't posted.**

 **But I _really_ want to get to the next chapter. Anyway, enjoy. ;)**

* * *

 _Beep, beep, beep._

Okay, _clearly_ the change of alarm clocks wasn't the smartest idea.

Elsa groaned and fumbled for the snooze button. Then, she turned to her side to get in a more comfortable position—

—and promptly fell off her bed. Elsa groaned as she hit the ground. Great, just great. She shook her head and squinted as the sun's glare filled the room. Elsa stumbled up and turned off her alarm clock. She stumbled to the bathroom, still feeling half-asleep. She glanced at her disheveled expression and quickly headed towards the bathtub, yawning.

And the warm water did the trick. It woke up all her muscles and filled her with a deep sense of peace. She just wanted to stay there forever...but, of course, she always had a sense of duty and had to get out of there. So, very reluctantly, she twisted the knobs, turning off the water. She changed into her Rosethorn Academy uniform and glanced at her hair. That was a slightly bigger problem. Even after only a few hours of sleep, it was a mess.

Elsa smoothed her hair as best as she could, combing through it. There was the slightest of natural curliness in her pale platinum hair, so that must seem okay, right? Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Elsa headed out of her room—

—and crashed into Rapunzel.

God, what was wrong with her luck today?

The two fell onto the ground. Rapunzel caught her eye, and for the first time in the day, Elsa cracked a smile. "Sorry about that," Rapunzel apologized, standing up. She offered a hand to Elsa, who grasped it gratefully, pulling herself up. "I was just about to knock down your door," Rapunzel joked weakly. Then, she brushed strands of her long hair out of her face and smiled. "You hungry?"

Elsa smiled tightly. "More or less."

"Rough night?" There was sympathy in Rapunzel's tone and concern in her light, jade-colored eyes.

They headed towards the cafeteria and grabbed some food. Not feeling particularly hungry—Elsa actually felt like her stomach was in knots—Elsa just grabbed an apple. As it was, Elsa didn't really eat the apple... She sort of just...rolled it around on the table as Rapunzel watched her with that same look. Finally, Elsa's head snapped up. Rapunzel met her eyes.

"Elsa."

A long sigh gusted out of Elsa's lips. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"What's right?" Elsa murmured, very quietly. Rapunzel shot her a curious look, and Elsa sighed again, stopping the apple she was moving between her fingers. "Actually, there is something." Rapunzel nodded expectantly. Elsa took a deep breath and just put the words out there: "The funeral is...today." Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, but she felt Rapunzel's fingers wrap around her wrist.

"Oh, Elsa."

Rapunzel only said two very softly spoken words, yet those two words held so many deep emotions: regret, sadness, pity, concern, and a billion other things. Rapunzel's light-green eyes remained trained on her, and soft words escaped Rapunzel's lips. "I'm really sorry about that, Elsa," Rapunzel murmured. She paused. "Does Anna know?" Even then Rapunzel's voice was gentle.

Elsa glanced up slowly and sighed softly. "Yup...didn't want to hold it in this time."

"You need to protect yourself, too."

Elsa gave a little half-hearted shrug and wondered why on earth had she chosen a red apple—one that she wasn't even going to eat or anything. With a long drawn out sigh, Elsa took a deep breath. Rapunzel was a strange creature. She could be nice and understanding and intelligent—wise beyond her years. Then, there was the Rapunzel that was fun and bubbly and vivacious and outgoing—and a bit naive, to be honest.

"Elsa."

"I'm not hungry."

Elsa got up. She appreciated Rapunzel's concern, but it was just—it was strange for _Elsa._ She was used to taking care of things. She was used to taking care of herself and her sister, and it was too outlandish, how she didn't have as much control as she thought she once had. Did she ever even had any? The world changed, the days passed, the sun still rose and set. What else?

"Elsa, wait."

Elsa closed her eyes slowly. "Yes?"

"You need this, okay?" Rapunzel shook her shoulders gently but firmly. "You need this closure. Maybe you should just skip your classes," Rapunzel suggested.

Elsa shrugged. "No, I can't," she said firmly. "If I was going to do that, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed."

Rapunzel nodded softly. "I guess...but I'll go with you."

"You don't have to." Where was the dead, emotionless tone coming from?

"I want to," Rapunzel said earnestly. "I mean..." Her mood dimmed a bit. "It's sad, but...I don't want you to be alone. Yes, I know Anna's going to be there. And so is your dad. But Elsa...just..." Rapunzel smiled softly. "Just get through the day as best you can. You're going to need this, okay?" Rapunzel laughed softly. "And I'm not going to say that it's going to be alright because I don't know that, but..."

"What?" Elsa said dryly. "It's not going to get worse?"

Rapunzel's gaze was intense, like an emerald fire. "Grief makes us do silly things."

"Please, I don't want wise old words that people have spoken in a million different ways," Elsa said quietly. "I want something..."

"Like a miracle?"

"No. I want something mundane. Something human. Something _normal."_

Rapunzel smiled softly. "Well, it's almost time for your first class. I'd say that's normal enough."

Elsa almost groaned at the thought of a whole long school day. But instead, she bit her lip, holding back the words, and flashed Rapunzel a tight smile. Her smile faded as she glanced over at the clock. "Oh man, hell's hour is almost here," she groaned. It was _7:08._ Almost time for History with Mr. Sandstorm. She gave Rapunzel a quick hug and headed towards room 32.

"Yo, Elsa!"

Elsa turned towards her side and shook her head ruefully as she saw Jack. He had the biggest smile on his face, and Elsa couldn't help but smile. She nudged him in the ribs. Jack put an arm around her, smirking. She nudged him off. He didn't seem to mind. "God, don't do that," she complained, but secretly, she was pleased. He was a distraction, and right now, a distraction was exactly what she needed.

"Did you study for the test?"

Elsa froze. "What test?"

Jack raised a brow. "That test on New Spain and the Americas," he clarified. Elsa's eyes widened. "You forgot?" Jack said quizzically.

Elsa groaned. "Oh. My. God. Did I seriously forget?!" _Stupid,_ she thought angrily.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you," Jack said, laughing. "But if it makes you feel any better, your reaction was a gem."

Elsa scowled. "How was that supposed to make me feel better?"

Jack only smiled back softly, and Elsa sensed that he wanted to say something. However, perhaps for once in his life, Jackson Overland shut his trap. However, the glances he was casting her way weren't really helping the situation, nor were they making it anymore promising. As they entered Mr. Sandstone's room and took their seats, Elsa, perhaps for once, pleaded in her mind that he would give them a heavy work load.

But apparently, the universe felt like keeping all their luck to themselves!

Mr. Sandstone merely smiled his perpetually sandy-ish (hey, there really was no other word to describe it) smile and basically told them that it was a blow off day without saying the words. The rest of the class seemed eternally grateful. Elsa sighed. She had finished all of her homework, even the stuff that wasn't due (because she just had to work off her stress on _something_ and probably wrote ten too many pages on that homework assignment).

Even Elsa's favorite book _Vampire Academy_ couldn't distract her. The most she could read were a few sentences before her mind began to wander as her fingers tapped against the spine of the book nervously. Or she would drum her fingers against the desk in a very agitated way. At least no one seemed to be noticing it. They all were concentrating on hiding their phones behind their books. A few were doing their homework, so no one noticed.

No one except for Jack.

Okay, so half the time Jack was the completely oblivious, stubborn Jack Overland that he was. This apparently was _not_ one of those times.

 _So_ not her lucky day.

She couldn't even _pretend_ not to notice him staring at her because that. Was. All. He. Did. And he knew that she knew he was staring, too, because through the corner of her eye, she could see him trying to talk with his eyes at her. Finally, after about, oh, five more seconds, Elsa couldn't take it anymore. She turned around sharply and stared at Jack. "Why are you doing that?"

He smiled sweetly. He was being sweet and perfect and _downright stupid_ if he thought she would think he was innocent. "Whatever are you talking about?"

There was an underlying smug tone in his voice—obviously remnants of using that smug tone in basically _every single_ sentence he ever uttered probably after learning how to do it—that made her almost raise a brow. But she kept her face flat and clear of emotions. Well...she couldn't exactly do _that,_ but at least she could make it very _hard_ to read her. After all, Jack often remarked that he couldn't read her right.

"You know what—that creepy staring thing that you're doing," she said in a hushed voice.

Jack gave her a soft half-smile. "Hey, it's not creepy," he said, slightly offended. "Lots of girls would kill to have me stare at them in this way."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? Are they suicidal?"

He frowned slightly at her tone—or maybe it was her words. Elsa didn't have a startling ability to read people, but...well, most people usually expressed their emotions pretty easily (though she considered herself to _not_ do that). Elsa bit her lip. She knew that suicide was a dark topic, and perhaps it held a deeper meaning for Jack than it did for others. She shouldn't have said that. But before Elsa could open her mouth to apologize or change the topic or _do anything,_ he beat her to it.

By changing the subject. Classic Jack Overland move.

"Is your book any good?"

Of course, she fell for it, partly because she _did_ want a distraction, partly because it _was_ a good book.

"Oh, yeah," she said, nodding eagerly. She wasn't quite smiling, but there was an emotion in her that wasn't dark and bleak and empty. She held up the book and gestured at a page. "It's really hilarious. It touches some dark topics, but there's also magic. It's about vampires, and—hey, stop trying to distract me!" Elsa groaned. How did he know that she was weak when it came to books?

He smiled, a faint version of his smirk. "Because I know you," he said, very matter-of-fact. His words sent chills down her spine. "Also, I know your book is about vampires."

She frowned. "How? I never said."

He rolled his eyes. "Common sense. _Vampire Academy._ It's in the name. Forget you lacked in that category," he teased.

"I do _too_ have common sense!" Elsa retorted. "I just...choose not to use it," she finished lamely.

He rolled his frost-colored orbs and smirked. Oh, that infuriating smirk. "If you had an ounce of common sense in you, you'd use it," he shot back snarkily.

She remained silent at that, shot him a glare without any venom in it, and turned back to her book. He rolled his eyes, obviously not fazed by it. It irritated her that she couldn't get to him. Of course, he _was_ Jack Overland. She doubted many could get through his thick skull. Maybe it was good protection, and maybe he never took things seriously. Maybe that could be useful.

"Oh, the silent treatment?" he said, voice sounding awfully bored. "How mature." Sarcasm dripped from his voice. She appraised him calmly, but her fingers never stopped drumming against the desk. Then, Jack reached over and took her hand, steadying her fingers. Genuine concern shone in his gaze, making it hard to swallow. They really were the perfect shade of frost, but his eyes were warm and genuine now, and what was she thinking about again?

"Is everything okay?" he asked her softly.

She glanced down briefly at their hands before tugging her hand away. She rubbed her fingertips together slowly and nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."

He scoffed. "Come on. I'm not _Rapunzel._ I mean, sure she's got extremely long hair and all, but my hair is _much_ better. Plus, have you _seen_ my—?"

"You were eavesdropping?!"

"It wasn't _that_ conversation, but—"

"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore!"

"Hey, you only assumed that!"

Elsa groaned and refrained from whacking Jack in the face. "Please...just drop it. Okay?"

He shook his head stubbornly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said automatically, like it was second-nature for her to say. She closed her eyes slowly. "Everything? I'm...confused."

"About what?" His voice was gentle.

A slow breath gusted out of Elsa's lips. She did want to confide in someone, perhaps him, to a degree, but there were distrusting feelings lingering somewhere. Elsa hated feeling helpless—which seemed strange as that seemed to be all she was feeling these days. But as she gazed into Jack's clear frost-colored eyes, she could see the genuine concern in his eyes. Perhaps wisdom.

And if she was being perfectly honest, it kind of creeped her out a bit, seeing as she wasn't used to this side of him.

But cowering away from the truth wasn't going to change it.

"The funeral…" Elsa's words failed her. Her cheeks burned, but she saw understanding flash immediately in Jack's eyes. He wavered, uncertain for a moment. It was a new look for him. Then, the brief uncertainty settled, and he was back to being Jack. "It's today," Elsa continued, wondering if he could even hear her through her hushed voice. She barely understood her words.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly. Then, he swore. "Sorry. That came out wrong. I mean, like, of course you're not, but—" He fell silent. "I'm just making things worse, aren't I? Sorry."

"You already apologize," she pointed out quietly.

He smiled crookedly at her and breathed in sharply. "Yeah, well, I'm sorr—crap, sorry about." He groaned. "Why do I keep doing this?" There was a plaintive note in his voice.

A small smile curled onto her lips, but it faded almost as soon as it had come. Elsa sighed softly.

"I wouldn't know about…" Jack trailed off.

She offered him a small smile, noting that his tone was the definition of _apologetic._ She shook her head at all the ridiculousness of it all. "Neither would I," she said softly.

Then, he reached out and gently placed his hand on top of hers. The gesture was so unexpected that she froze, unsure of exactly what to do. She tipped her head downwards, an old trick, so the long strands of her hair covered her face like a platinum curtain. But when she looked up, Jack wasn't looking at her. He was looking down, but his face seemed a bit flushed, as if he found this as awkward as she did but still found the obligation to try and comfort her.

She appreciated the gesture, but that didn't mean it wasn't awkward or anything.

"Um, thanks," she said in a slow, strained voice. She removed her hand, sure she was doing an incredibly viable version of a human traffic cone.

"Yeah," he huffed.

The air was awkward.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack walked with Elsa as they headed to P.E. He never pressured her on the funeral, not exactly, but he cast almost anxious looks at her from time to time when he thought she didn't know or wasn't paying attention (well, it was kind of hard to _not_ notice). She said 'almost' because he was Jack Overland, and 'anxious'? It wasn't exactly a word to describe him. It was the exact opposite of who he really was.

But he remained quiet. They caught gazes several times, but Elsa couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was looking out for her. It was weird to her because she was so used to taking care of others, not the other way around. But there was something soft in his usually frosty gaze. Or maybe it wasn't just soft. It was something different. Something warmer. Something knowing.

And Elsa would be lying if she said it didn't terrify the heck out of her.

They arrived at the gym—after changing into their P.E. uniforms of course (for hygienic purposes)—and Mr. North instructed them to go into two separate groups for volleyball. Now, Elsa didn't particularly hate the unit. After all, volleyball was volleyball, and sometimes, it could be fun. But Mr. North didn't give them wrist protectors or anything, and Elsa's wrists usually felt quite sore after a game.

"Don't just stand there."

Elsa jumped at the low whisper. She turned, somewhat unsure, somewhat afraid, to see Jack. She breathed again, her heart racing decelerating. "Jack!"

"We're _supposed_ to go to a side," he said, a glint in his eyes.

"O-o-oh, r-r-right," Elsa stuttered, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she let Jack lead her to one of the sides. Her face burned, and she thought she heard someone—several someones—swoon and argue over who Jack winked at. Despite herself, she rolled her eyes. _Of course_ Jack would do such a thing like that. Elsa peeked at him and noticed that a broad smirk was on his face. His expression turned slightly sheepish as he noticed her watching. His smile softened, as if he was apologizing to her through a smile.

"START THE GAME, IDIOTS. SURELY YOU'VE PLAYED VOLLEYBALL BEFORE. GEEZ, _STUDENTS_ THESE DAYS."

Elsa hid a smile and exchanged a rueful, knowing glance with Jack as Mr. North barked the orders. The other team served the ball, and the game started. Elsa placed her right hand on top of her left and extended her arms forward, bending her knees a bit. The ball flew through the air. Jack actually rolled over and skidded past some people _just_ to get the ball. The ball went in an upward arc, and they scored. Elsa rolled her eyes at Jack and mouthed, _show off._ He only grinned.

Jack strode back to her, grinning. "Bend your knees just a _touch_ more," he instructed.

She shot him a quizzical look but since she didn't really know all that much about volleyball, she just shrugged and complied. He smiled, obviously pleased that she had followed his advice.

As the game continued, the sun continued to beat down hard on them. Elsa felt quite miserable. Sure it got hot and all, but _seriously?_ There were literally no clouds in the sky, and there wasn't even a cool breeze to compensate for the unbearable heat of the sun. Okay, okay, maybe it wasn't _unbearable._ But still. It _was_ miserable to play in. She preferred cooler conditions. Volleyball in the rain might not be so bad. Floor hockey outside when it was raining was quite enjoyable.

When Mr. North called for them all to take a break (with serious threats about how they shouldn't be a minute late while simultaneously bashing some people's skills), Elsa sat onto the bench. Sure the bench was _really_ warm, warmed from the sun's embrace, but Elsa had been standing for solidly an hour, and her muscles ached. Rapunzel sat down next to her, groaning. "That was utter _torture,"_ Rapunzel declared, groaning.

"Tell me about it," Elsa added ruefully.

Rapunzel groaned. "It'll take _weeks,_ not _years_ to recover the use of all my wrists!"

Elsa raised a brow. "You only have two wrists."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be supportive?"

"Yeah, aren't you?"

She blinked, surprised as Jack took a seat next to her. He smiled and handed each girl a water bottle, which they accepted gratefully. Elsa's fingers were shaking from adrenaline and fatigue and something else, but the bottle was icy and brought Elsa back to the world. She unscrewed the lid and took a long draught, sighing deeply as the water entered her system and brought her back to life.

He smirked. "I'll take pats on the back and thanks now."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. _"Thanks,_ you dork."

"I could do without the dork part, but—"

 _"Jack!"_ both girls exclaimed.

"Kidding, just kidding."

Elsa rolled her eyes. No, he wasn't.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack was pretty much great at any and every sport. Yes, volleyball was in there.

He didn't _mean_ to be self-conceited or anything (or _did_ he?), but…you know, it just sort of _happened._

As Mr. North barked for all of them to head back to their teams, Jack jumped to his feet and raced over, a deep adrenaline rush piercing through him. He was back in the game. All Jack could see, feel, breathe was the ball. It was almost like it was just him against the whole other team. He darted to catch and spike the ball whenever he could, barely feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him.

Cheers rose in the crowd. They chanted his name. He felt… _powerful._ A smirk curled onto his lips, and Jack jumped up in the air, fists upwards. A loud keening battle cry tore through his throat, ripping through the air. The ball flew at him, and he pounded it back to the other side. Another point. He turned and saw Elsa watching him with a fixed look. He smiled at her. _I know what I'm doing,_ he told her through his eyes. She shook her head and turned away.

A soft smile curled onto his lips as he watched her.

"Jack."

The voice was distant.

"Jack."

It was hushed and fierce at the same time.

"Jack!"

It seemed a little louder.

"JACK!"

He whirled around. He stumbled over his own feet as the ball shot in his direction. His hands felt disconnected from the rest of his body.

It slammed into him.

And blackness conquered all.

 **Behind Her Smile**

In all honesty, Jack never expected to wake up.

Okay, okay, maybe he was being a bit overly dramatic. Of course, he had sort of expected the volleyball to smash into his skull and possibly knock out his brain (though _some people_ would probably say he had to brain to begin with, though who would, he had no idea). Nevertheless, he did _not_ die or anything, seeing as he was still thinking. Ish. He only woke up a few hours after the little incident.

However, he still had a splitting headache, and as he pushed himself upwards, a startling jolt of pain rang through him. The world spun. "What happened?" he groaned.

Gasps of relief sounded through the room, and before he knew it, Jack was pushed back on whatever surface he was lying on as arms wrapped around him, embracing him.

"That's enough, Elsa," said a stern voice. "You don't want to knock him out unconscious."

There was horrified gasp, and the arms released him. Suddenly, it dawned to Jack that _Elsa_ had been the one that had hugged him. It confused him.

Jack glanced around the room to see several people in the room. Fairy Godmother, Mr. North, Flynn, Naveen, and—undeniably—Elsa. And, of course, there was the Doctor Weselton, someone Jack had been quite accustomed to seeing after particularly rough practices of wrestling. Those people had chorused in relief when he had come to. Jack rubbed his forehead, the world spinning. They were in the hospital wing.

Although a smirk was playing on Flynn's lips, there was a genuine spark of relief flooding his gaze. Flynn nodded slowly, lips moving in a flurried motion as if he was speaking to himself. Or mouthing to himself. Because Jack couldn't understand a word Flynn was saying. Of course, that might've been because, um, you know, he was suffering from a terrible headache and possible concussion, no worries there.

"I—what happened?" Jack repeated.

Doctor Weselton had always reminded Jack of a weasel, with his flat face and bushed up eyebrows. The name 'Weselton' probably didn't help. The doctor scratched the back of his head, his grey-blue eyes flashing, the most distinct feature on his face. "You suffered from a minor concussion, Mr. Overland," Doctor Weselton informed. "You're lucky it wasn't any worse." He tsked.

Jack looked up hopefully. "Oh. Does that mean I'm excused from my classes?"

Flynn snorted. _"Wow._ Excellent. The minute you wake up, this is what you say. Why am I not surprised?"

Elsa bit her lip. "He could've been seriously hurt."

Naveen rolled his eyes. "But he _wasn't._ Let's get over it."

Jack glared, offended. "Elsa's _right._ I almost _died."_

Doctor Weselton actually had the audacity to _roll his eyes._ "It wasn't that bad, Jack. You _certainly_ weren't going to _die."_

"I almost died, can I please have this moment?" Jack said, scoffing.

Mr. North mimicked Jack's scoff. "Boy, you seem fine. Your ego is intact."

"I'm hurt," Jack said mockingly.

Doctor Weselton cleared his throat. "Well, now that everything appears to be in order, you all can _leave."_ He narrowed his eyes at Jack. "But if you really _want_ to, I suppose taking the day off wouldn't hurt."

Flynn scoffed. "Please no. His ego doesn't need any feeding!"

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "No, let's not take any chances. You three, get back to class."

"—it's lunch," Naveen interjected.

Fairy Godmother shook her head wryly. "On with your day."

With a shrug, Flynn exchanged a glance with Naveen. Then, Flynn smirked at Jack, who rolled his eyes back at his best friend. Then, Flynn and Naveen left. Mr. North grunted, and he followed Fairy Godmother out. Then, Doctor Weselton went to check on one thing or another. Jack almost forgot about the company he still had left until Elsa sighed, very softly. She was watching him with a concerned look.

"Hey," he murmured.

She caught his gaze. "I'm glad you're okay, Jack."

"Me, too." A soft smile curled onto his lips.

Elsa cracked a soft smile that might've been considered ridiculous or hysterical, but Jack assumed that he was smiling a smile just as ridiculous. Then, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him once again. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent, and allowed him a brief piece of tranquility. He pretended that it had no effect on him. Then, she pulled back, shot him a tight smile, and left the room.

 _If I go unconscious again, do you think she'll hug me again?_ Jack wondered to his self-conscience. He was sure that if he stood up too quickly, he could make himself black out again—and then Elsa would probably find out and come.

His conscience remarked, _It couldn't hurt._

No, it _would_ hurt. After all, concussions were not small things to be taken lightly with. And besides, the after effects were pretty miserable.

But Jack had a feeling…it might be worth it.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Stop worrying about him."

Elsa's head shot up. "How'd you know?" she said suspiciously.

Rapunzel smiled softly. They were currently in Mr. Pabbie's class. Jack, unsurprisingly, hadn't shown up. Though even if he was feeling alright, Elsa doubted he would pass up the time to skip class because he _was_ Jack Overland. The room felt oddly empty without Jack's vibrant presence. Weird. "It's written all over your face," Rapunzel told her softly as she dipped her paintbrush into an inky color. They were painting something to express their mood. Mr. Pabbie wanted to give them a change from dull assignments and required reading.

"No, it isn't," Elsa denied, face betraying her and turning a bright red.

Rapunzel raised a brow and gestured at Elsa's canvas. "Your colors are literally _blue,_ Elsa."

Elsa jutted her chin out stubbornly, but as she glanced over at the canvas in front of her, even she couldn't deny Rapunzel's claims. What she had painted was basically sort of like a blue circle, with various blues ranging from aquamarine to cerulean to frost. Well, it was always what Elsa thought an aura might look like. An aura of...sadness, she supposed.

"Maybe," Elsa admitted grudgingly.

Rapunzel shook her head. "He's only got a concussion. He'll probably soak up the attention like a sponge and—"

"—did you just compare him to a sponge?" Elsa interrupted, amused.

Rapunzel hid a smile. "Maybe." Rapunzel shook her head. "Don't dodge," she warned.

"I'm not," Elsa said, sighing softly.

Elsa turned back to her canvas, staring at the vast blue in front of her. Well, Rapunzel was right about Jack being the inspiration behind the gradient of colors. And Elsa _was_ worried about Jack. Maybe it was because she was so used to seeing him as a sort of invincible figure. No, that wasn't quite right. Not invincible. Just...strong. Sturdy. Almost fearless, almost unbreakable. Almost because no one could be completely fearless or invincible. At times, it seemed as if he truly _was_ invincible.

"Elsa?"

Rapunzel's soft voice surprised Elsa. She turned to the side. "Yeah?"

"Do you find Jack attractive?"

Elsa's face flushed at Rapunzel's words. She felt her neck grow hot as she noticed the ghost of a smirk on Rapunzel's face. Rapunzel did her best to hide the smirk, though. "Um," came Elsa's answer (aren't you proud of her wide vocabulary?). She stuttered, staring at Rapunzel. She definitely hadn't expected such a question, especially coming from Rapunzel.

She frowned slightly. Sure, Jack _was_ attractive. And...he probably knew her more than almost anyone at the academy. But lots of girls found Jack attractive.

But describing Jack as attractive was a step too far.

Rapunzel smiled smugly. "So?"

"It's—that's just— _Rapunzel,_ why did you ask me that?" Elsa hissed.

Rapunzel smiled serenely. "So you _do_ find him attractive."

Elsa shot her a rueful look. "I'm not attracted to him, I'm not infatuated with him, I'm not—"

"—ah, but you _do_ find him attractive."

Elsa glared. _"Why?"_

"Because..." Rapunzel bit her lip. "I kind of let Belle practice her art skills, and she wanted life models..." Elsa groaned, the pieces falling into place right in front of her. "And she wanted a male and female, and since you and Jack just look so well together"—Elsa wrinkled her nose because _what?_ What did Rapunzel just say?—"so I said you two would be totally for it."

Elsa groaned. "When did you agree to this?"

"This morning," Rapunzel declared shamelessly.

Elsa grimaced. "Why didn't you bother to I don't know, maybe _ask_ me?"

 _"Because,"_ Rapunzel said, pouting. "Anyway," she said, continuing as if she had already finished her sentence, "you and Jack are friends now, Elsa. Besides, it's only a few hours. Belle said she'd have some nice music playing, so you guys won't be bored out of your—"

"— _hours?"_ Elsa cried. "Rapunzel, I don't have _hours!"_

Rapunzel smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I said tomorrow might be a good day. I'd run it over with you, I said. She wanted it to be today, but..." Rapunzel trailed off. Foreboding emotions washed through Elsa. "I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned," Rapunzel started. "Sorry, I'm being so insincere." Rapunzel stared away, his light green eyes drifting back to her inky purple aura.

"It's okay," Elsa said, even though it really wasn't.

"You saw Jack, right? When he hit his head _really_ hard and had to get dragged into the hospital wing?"

Elsa looked up seriously. "Yeah. He's..." A silly, flustered expression appeared on her face. "He's fine."

Rapunzel nodded gently. "Thought so."

"I'm glad he is..."

Rapunzel's gaze softened. "I know."

There was a knowing look in her eyes, and Elsa wondered what Rapunzel was thinking. Then, she brushed it off.

 _Focus, Elsa._

 **Behind Her Smile  
**

"So, this is...the funeral. Huh."

Agnarr, AKA Elsa's dad, smiled in a sad way. "It is." He frowned. "Why are you here again?"

Jack smiled softly. "I wanted to be supportive," he replied honestly.

"No," Agnarr said, shaking his head, and Jack wondered for an excruciating moment if Agnarr was going to tell him that he didn't believe Jack at all. After all, when Jack had first met Agnarr, the guy seemed pretty chill to Jack. He even seemed to _like_ Jack. If he didn't...it would've completely astonished and destroyed Jack. If Agnarr didn't approve of him...well, the idea seemed devastating. Jack wasn't sure why.

"Excuse me, sir?" Jack said.

 _Sir. Never heard you say the word. Ever._

 _Go away,_ Jack thought, hoping that if he was scowling, Agnarr would mistaken it for...er, something else.

"Aren't classes still ongoing at Rosethorn?" Agnarr inquired, clarifying. Jack's shoulders immediately sank in relief. "I mean, even Elsa's not here yet. The school gave her pass to leave somewhere between science or something so she could attend the funeral. And her science class starts at 5:10. It's only 4 o clock. Aren't you supposed to be in class or something?"

"Ah," Jack said, understanding. He nodded. "Oh, yeah, they are. But, I, um, I sort of had a fall. A concussion, actually, and—"

"—a concussion?" Agnarr interrupted. He looked fiercely worried. "Jack, then what are you doing here?"

"Hey, hey," Jack said defensively, "I've been given the all-clear from Doc Weselton. He said no sports. I'm just here to be a supportive friend. That's all. Unless..." Jack raised a brow and caught Agnarr's gaze. "Unless you don't want me here? I mean, I wouldn't want to intrude or anything..." Inwardly, Jack hoped that Agnarr would say that it was fine. But Agnarr remained silent. Jack cleared his throat. "I mean, I feel _fine,_ sir. I know what my body needs," he said slowly.

Agnarr then looked at him and then sighed. "Well, I suppose if you know. But if anything at all happens..." He shuddered. "Concussions aren't pretty."

"No, they aren't," Jack said cheerfully, "but I'll be glad to cross that one off my bucket list." Agnarr looked at him weirdly, and Jack swore under his breath. "Sorry, I really shouldn't joke around. I'm being disrespectful." Jack blinked. "Sir," he added quickly, which actually _did_ make Agnarr smile a little, just the crinkle of the corners of his mouth. But the sadness never left Agnarr's eyes. Sympathy swept through Jack.

 _Poor Agnarr,_ Jack thought. _Poor Elsa._

"How is she? Elsa, I mean."

Jack looked up curiously at Agnarr. "She's...dealing, I guess." He shrugged. "She puts on a brave face."

"She's so much like her mother," Agnarr murmured. "She always wants to prove she can handle something until she just...can't."

He raised a brow. "Has she ever failed to?"

"No," Agnarr said, voice soft and proud. "She's very resilient."

He nodded, understanding. He smiled softly. "She was there when I woke up from my concussion." The memory made him feel warm. His fingers brushed against the back of his own hand, and a drumming _bum-bum-bum_ rang through his forehead. "She's a special girl," he said after a few moments. He glanced up at Agnarr, breathing in slowly. He didn't think it would be right to mention that he and Elsa had basically been mortal enemies.

"She thinks highly of you."

He nearly stumbled, shocked. "What? How do you know? Did she tell you?"

Agnarr chuckled, a soft sound laced with sadness. "She doesn't..." Agnarr hesitated. "My eldest daughter does not open up to people easily. Anna, she's very free-spirited. She's more outgoing than Elsa. Elsa...I know she stands out...but there's also something about her that doesn't make her memorable, because she's so quiet. And the way you two can connect, even if I just saw a brief glimpse of it."

It was Jack's turn to flush. "Oh—er, well—um."

"I'm glad someone like you...are friends with her."

Jack breathed in sharply. "Someone like me?" he echoed.

"Someone like Anna, but I can't expect Elsa to spend all her time with her sister," Agnarr explained. "I'm hoping she'll catch a few more social skills."

Jack gave a nervous laugh. "She's not very social, but if you can get her to talk, she's a great conversationalist," he said honestly. "She doesn't like big crowds, you know? But she _is_ one of the smartest people I've ever met. And dedicated. Very dedicated." He froze as an amused expression crossed Agnarr's face. "But don't tell her I said that. It'll do _wonders_ for my reputation."

Agnarr took it good humoredly. "Mmm. You would be good for her."

"Er— _what?"_ Jack stammered.

Agnarr laughed. "A good friend. I worded it wrong."

"R-r-right," Jack said, letting out a nervous laugh. "I knew that."

So why did his heart race just a _tiny_ bit faster at Agnarr's words?

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa was never good with funerals. Or death. Or people. Or hamsters (long story). But that wasn't the point. This shouldn't have stopped her.

So why did it?

Elsa stood, very silently, next to her sister Anna as they stood outside the funeral reception. She glanced over at Anna, who squeezed her hand as if to say, _it's going to be okay._ Swallowing thickly, Elsa could only stare as people weaved in and out all around them. They were going to be late if they didn't move soon. Anna shook Elsa's arm, very gently but firmly.

"Elsa," Anna said softly. It was just her name, but it sent a panic attack down Elsa. Elsa glanced over at her sister, lips parting but words failing her. Anna only smiled in that quiet, innocent way of hers. "Come on." Anna tugged at her arm. Though Elsa's words didn't come out, her feet moved when she told them to, and the two managed to stumble inside the building, which, in a very ironic way, reminded Elsa of the times when she and Anna were young without a care and the world and were trying to eavesdrop on the parents' conversation—of course, their parents knew all about this and played along for their sake. Elsa learned this later.

Time was messy.

People spoke at the funeral, but Elsa barely heard anything. She didn't want to see any of it. She didn't want to be here. She couldn't be here. She couldn't breathe. Her heart thumped uncomfortably loud in her chest, and her head was tucked low, her eyes squeezed shut. An uncomfortable sensation rose in her stomach, and she knew that she just had to...get out. She felt like she wanted to cry or throw up, but she didn't, so she just felt good and rotten with all that clinging to the surface. It made her stomach churn. It made her heart ache. It made her want to scream or yell or tear something up.

"Elsa?"

Elsa stared at Anna, panicked, and stood up, backing away. Then, she dashed out of the room. She just had to get away, she had to—

"You okay?"

Elsa's head shot up. Her voice was a harsh whisper. _"Jack?_ What're you _doing_ here? Don't you have a concussion?!"

"If there ever was a way to shout and whisper at the same time," Jack said ruefully. "Here I am, in the flesh." He turned somber. "You alright? I mean, stupid question, but—"

"—I honestly don't need to do this again," Elsa reminded him softly.

Jack nodded amiably. Then, he frowned. "I'm really sorry, for what it's worth."

She stayed silent.

"I know this is hard for you," he said quietly. "I just...I wanted to be here. For you." This time, she peeked at him through a curtain of hair. His smile was kind, almost shy, a look she had never seen on him before. "You know, this isn't going to get any easier." She glared at him without any venom. She had spent most of the day feeling miserable. This wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. "I knew that isn't what you want to hear right now, but..." He faltered.

Elsa let out a slow breath. "How did you know I was here?"

His smile was sad. "I was here. Ditched school early. You know me." He coughed a little. "Um, actually, it was a bit obvious. Sorry." His voice was soft.

Elsa pursed her lips together. "I...guess."

"I'm...not good with this...'caring' thing." His words surprised her. She looked up at him cautiously. Jack seemed nervous. "But, I guess..." Jack stared at his hands, swallowing. Then, a faint smile flickered on his lips. She saw right through his smile, saw how weird this was for him. She nodded in a small attempt to encourage him. "I don't know," Jack said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "I just..." He squeezed his eyes shut and gave a little nervous laugh. "I thought...I told myself I wouldn't screw this up and make a fool out of myself."

"You're not a fool."

Jack glanced up at her. "Yeah? Well, thank you for that," he mumbled.

Then, out of nowhere, he leaned forward and _hugged_ her. She froze, unsure what to do by the outlandish gesture. Then, smiling a little to herself, Elsa hugged him back, sighing softly. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and her heart drummed in her chest. A soft smile curled onto her lips, in spite of herself. She pulled back and looked him right in the eye. "Thanks. I really..." She gave a nervous laugh. "...needed that."

He smiled. "Anytime." Then, he glanced over back at the entrance. "You ready?"

"No."

"No?" He arched a brow.

"Never," she responded.

He grinned. "Great. Now let's go!"

She groaned as he took her hand and dragged her towards the twin doors.

"What point of 'never' don't you get?"

But all she heard was the sound of his laughter.

 **Behind Her Smile**

As the rest of the ceremony progressed, Jack remained stoic and silent, occasionally glancing over at Elsa to make sure she wouldn't...freak out and embarrass herself and probably him, too. Several times he saw her looking down and breathing in deeply, muttering things to herself, but each time, she would bring her gaze back up, and he knew a little part of her doubt faded.

She needed this. She needed this to help her move on with her life.

It was astonishing how much she'd been through. Jack could see it in her eyes.

If he was being honest, that was the most incredible thing he had ever witnessed.

If he was being honest, he would...well, nothing.

As the funeral came to a close, there was a flaming sunset in the sky. Everyone was probably going to grab for some food—this Jack had no objections to—so Jack joined Elsa and her family, Agnarr, Anna, and doubtless Elsa herself. He thought it might feel weird, like he'd be a stranger to their family gathering sort, but instead, it felt like the opposite.

And, for some reason, that freaked him out the most.

They all went to some quiet restaurant or something, really fancy and posh—which made Jack feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. Now, if he was here with Flynn or Naveen, they would be joking the whole way. Nope. They _definitely_ weren't the right people for this. After all, it _was,_ um, a funeral. Their joking attitudes wouldn't exactly mesh well. Of course, Jack himself had a joking attitude himself, but...

Somehow, he wanted to be exactly what she wanted— _needed_ —right now.

"Do you like seafood?"

Jack glanced up at Agnarr and shrugged, smiling softly. They were at a seafood restaurant. He liked most foods. "Yup," he remarked, grinning.

Elsa rolled her eyes, and Jack smiled, relieved that she was acting more or less like herself again. "He'll eat about anything you put in front of his face."

Jack stuck his tongue out at her. "Hey! I have limits!"

She rolled her eyes again. "Like _what?"_

"Well...it can't be metal. And, um, I don't know about you, but I'm not really into dung, of any kind, and—"

 _"Jack!"_ Elsa said, clearly exasperated. But there was a sort of amused glint in her eyes that made him grin even more. She sliced her shrimp with gusto as Jack stabbed his pasta with Alfredo sauce, shoveling forkfuls into his mouth. Elsa stared at him, half-appalled, half-impressed. "Wow... You can _really_ fit all that food in your big mouth?" She gestured towards his half-empty plate.

Jack smiled cheekily. His plate _had_ been heaped with food...about two minutes ago. "Not my fault!" he defended. "The food is _good."_

"Are you sure it isn't just _because_ it's food?" Elsa joked.

Jack rolled his eyes, unable to make another snappy comment as food was in his mouth—not that that had stopped him before...but, he didn't exactly want to make a fool out of himself in front of, um, her father. He took his glass of lemonade, winked at Agnarr, and then almost swallowed about half of the drink. Almost because the minute the drink touched his tongue, he spat the whole thing out.

On a lucky note, he didn't drench anyone.

...and on an _un_ lucky note, he sprayed... _all_ of their food. Whoops.

 _"Jack!"_ Elsa said, obviously shocked.

Agnarr's eyes were equally wide. "Er, um—"

Jack dabbed his tongue with a napkin. "Sorry. It's just—it was _really_ salty—like the ocean." He nudged the glass towards Elsa when she raised a brow in obvious disbelief. "Try it if you don't believe me."

She wrinkled her nose. "But there's—" She groaned as her gaze reached her sister. _"Anna._ You put _salt_ in his drink?"

Jack finally took a moment to look at Elsa's younger strawberry-blonde haired sister. He noticed the unscrewed saltshaker—apparently devoid of all its contents—in front of her. Also, the fact that she was giggling madly, nearly doubling over with laughter, sort of gave her away. He glared. "How dare you!" he said mockingly. He groaned exaggeratedly. "My food!"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Figures. I would be worried about ever tasting anything again after that. You would be worried about your food."

"Who _wouldn't?"_ Jack said with so much emphasis that Agnarr smiled.

Anna smirked. "You should've seen your face!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "I see my face _plenty_ of times. We have something called a mirror for that."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad, he's _usually_ this modest."

Agnarr only smiled. "This has _certainly_ been an eventful day." He glanced at the mess in front of him. "Well, time to get something to clean this up."

"Or we could just move to another table and leave the— _okay, okay,_ no need to glare at me like that, Elsa."

"Jack, how could you even _suggest_ that?" Elsa groaned.

Anna glanced at Agnarr. "I'll help you, Dad!"

Which left Jack with Elsa.

"You're...dealing with this better than I would've expected," he said, voice so soft he didn't think she heard. But she turned towards, very slowly, and looked up. "Better than I would've," Jack said softly. If someone Jack cared about died, he wouldn't just sit still while having a panic attack inside his head. He would scream and kick anyone who told him it was going to be okay.

Elsa nodded softly. "What else could I do?"

He stared, somewhat amazed. Then, he shook his head. "You're really something, you know that?"

 **Behind Her Smile**

It was safe to say that it was quite an eventful day.

Elsa, Anna, and Jack were heading back to Rosethorn Academy. It felt so surreal that life could still continue after the funeral. The funeral had been a blur of tears and words, and Elsa had never felt so scared in her life. She did cry, yes, because she missed her mom and needed her, and she wasn't there, and everything was so hard, and Elsa just did _not_ need to go to school through everything—but...but she knew she had to.

Anna went straight to her room, very quiet, not like her usual bubbly self, and Elsa thought she saw a glimpse of herself in Anna, but maybe it was all in her head. The funeral had certainly changed something in Anna, gave her a serious note. And Jack...well, he...it seemed to Elsa as if he had always had a serious note in him, he just never showed it. But it was fine, that was fine, with her because he was Jack, master of switching up the conversation.

"You want to breathe?"

Elsa turned towards him. She frowned. "What?" she said quizzically, puzzled.

He smiled. "Follow me."

Elsa didn't know exactly why her feet moved when Jack dragged her to—well, she didn't exactly know where. But...she, well, she trusted him, against all odds, and surely he would take pity and wouldn't make this day anymore miserable than this for her. Or maybe it was the sort of unique determination in his eyes that made her follow him because usually he was this flippant, brash Jack.

Maybe the funeral had changed him, too.

The place turned out to be the garden, which he liked to call _his_ garden.

"Why are we here?" It was stupid question, maybe, but did it make sense? Yes...at the time.

Jack only smiled at her. "You need to breathe."

"Then why are _you_ here?"

"'Cause I thought you'd like some company," Jack said, grinning.

She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "Thoughtful," she remarked.

"I try," he said, grinning. Then, he turned serious once more. "I don't want you to think that I don't care or this is just..." He glanced away. "This _is_ weird for me." He smiled once again, which amazed her. "Anyway, I heard Fairy Godmother"—he rolled his eyes at this, such a _Jack_ thing to do—"talking to the other teacher people, and she said something about you. Well, technically, she said it to _me_ because she noticed me. But yeah, she said something about you."

Elsa raised a brow. "Really? What was it?"

"Okay, here it is: you're being loud. Can't we get an Elsa here to calm you down?"

Elsa rolled her eyes at his antics. "I'm sure it was more important than that."

"Fine. She said that if you wanted to take a few days off, she wouldn't begrudge you to...I don't know, let loose and stuff," Jack said. "Totally unfair, I mean, _I'm_ the one with the concussion"—she raised a brow—"but I suppose with everything that's going on...eh, you probably deserve it." Then, he smirked. "Anyway, you'd better warn your sister—after that lemonade prank, I'm _so_ getting her back."

Elsa laughed. "Good luck with that!"

"No need for luck when born talented, sweetheart," he said, smirking.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Ego check, please."

"You love it," he said haughtily.

She scoffed. "Sure," she said testily. She took a deep breath. "Well, I should go. It's getting late." Then, she blushed. "Well, I actually promised Rapunzel I'd help her study."

He nodded, smiling. "Not unreasonable."

She turned back. "Why are you smiling so much today?"

His only answer was a bright smile.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack watched as Elsa left. A smile lingered on his lips long after she left. Jack's watch glowed in green unblinking numbers, and though he didn't read it, he knew he must be past curfew. Trust Elsa to ditch him before she got in trouble. Jack tipped his head to the moonlight, a faint smile flickering onto his lips. The smile didn't last, but the warm feeling inside of him did.

Jack couldn't deny that he wished Elsa could've stayed instead of going to study with Rapunzel, if that was even what she did, but he had no reason to doubt her seeing as she just wasn't that kind of person. And he also couldn't deny that he longed for her presence and rather disliked the idea that Hans was courting Elsa (personally because Hans was a total idiot, and, well, so were the other guys in here).

He couldn't deny that though plenty of people—say, _all_ of the school—would relish a hug from him, he had purposely used the funeral as an opportunity to hug _her._

He certainly couldn't deny that she was beautiful, intelligent, and possibly the strongest person he had ever met. ...and he couldn't exactly deny that he was attracted to her (she _was_ gorgeous).

He couldn't deny that the more time he spent with her, the less he thought about...anyone else.

He couldn't deny that he always wanted to make her smile or laugh, that he never wanted to see her down. He wanted to see that sparkle in her eyes and feel pleasure that he could draw that out of her normally shy, reserved self. And he liked to think that he was one of the few that saw that side to her. He wanted to challenge her and her challenge him.

Why did he, Jack Overland, want her to _stay?_ It was supposed to be the other way around—it _should've_ been the other way around.

 _It's okay to admit that you have feelings for her, Jack.  
_

The thought was like icy water on a blazing summer day. Jack had never even thought of it. But...he didn't have feelings for Elsa. She was beautiful, yes, and he knew that and was attracted to her features, but...he didn't have feelings for _her._...did he?

He thought about how worried she'd been when he hit his head _really_ hard and landed himself with a concussion, how she had hugged him, how warm the embrace felt, how he _felt._

 _I don't have feelings for Elsa._

But the beating of his heart contradicted everything.

* * *

 **QotD: How many states have you been to?**

* * *

 **A/N: So...this.  
**

 **Okay, I'm going to be honest: I didn't absolutely love the way I started the chapter...or the way I continued the chapter...or the part with the funeral...but I'll be honest: I loved the end with Jack's POV. Now, I was half-way writing through the ACTUAL funeral scene, with the whole thing in detail...when it came to me: _this is way too long._ And I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to just read about a funeral. So I've decided that I'll probably put in flashbacks of the funeral in future chapters.**

 **Anyway, let's talk about the REAL elephant in the room: Jack's feelings for Elsa! Now, I know I said this chapter was going to be dark and all, but...it just went this path. Everyone deals with grief differently... (speaking of grief), and I didn't want Elsa to suffer much more. I mean, she KNEW her mother was dead. I was trying to put closure in this, which was hard, and I probably didn't do it right.**

 **Now, I knew that Jack was going to have a concussion, so he could have an excuse to go to the funeral (seeing as he isn't family). But I did like writing the bonding moments between Jack and Elsa's dad.**

 **ANYWAY, we all know that Jack and Elsa are a stubborn bunch, so we don't even know (well, _you_ don't know... _I,_ on the other hand) when and if they're going to get together! Now, right now, here is how it is: Elsa doesn't suspect a thing about Jack's feelings, and Jack is in denial because...um, their relationship is crazy. This chapter was just another building block. The BIG stuff happens next, so stay tuned!  
**

 **(Also, I kind of wanted to change the end part for the next chapter, but...)**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	10. Starlight

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Starlight  
**

* * *

 **"Don't you see the starlight, starlight?** **Don't you dream impossible things?" - Excerpt from _Starlight,_ Taylor Swift  
**

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 **A/N: I know what you're thinking: _why the heck did this chapter take so long?_  
**

 **So...um...there really is no excuse. I had the whole outline, but...I kept getting...distracted. I started this the day I posted the previous chapter, but I just. Couldn't. Get. Around. To. Getting. It. Down. And I'm not even sure why. I _wanted_ to write this chapter. Then, when the next day came, I was completely out of inspiration. For a long time.  
**

 **Even listening to a bunch of Hannah Montana songs didn't work on me this time! Mostly, all the music I listened to made me wanted to watch some trashy TV.**

 **Then, I listened to Vanessa Morgan's cover of 'Breakeven.' That's how I wrote 2/3 of this chapter. Yes, Vanessa Morgan being that girl Sarah from _My Babysitter's a Vampire_ and Toni Topaz in _Riverdale_ and Lyria in _The Shannara Chronicles_ (I was busy binge-watching all of that). Gotta love her. Also, did everyone have a good turkey day?  
**

* * *

Maybe it was a weird thing to do (though you'll probably be reading or thinking the word 'weird' throughout this), but Elsa enjoyed watching the dark night sky.

Perfect conditions included a slight drizzle and some clouds framing out a brilliant full moon, but we take what we can get. She wasn't exactly sure why she liked it best like that. Maybe it was just because that was when it felt more magical, more alive. More ethereal. No matter, whatever it was, it was... _perfect_ —or, at least...the illusion of perfect. Er, well, perfection.

But now, even with the moon only partially filled in, Elsa could enjoy the wonderful sights. Yes, there were so many reasons why she shouldn't be watching the moon—cough, cough, she probably should've been sleeping, cough, cough—but she, for some miraculous reason, could _not_ tear her gaze away from the sky. Sure, it wasn't raining. But there were some clouds in the sky, and it felt as if a certain mist hung in the air. Maybe that was just her imagination producing that feeling, but hey, she wasn't complaining.

Elsa shivered. Another reason she shouldn't have been out here was because it was also _freezing._

Sure, winter had passed and all (ish), and most of the cold had left...but it remained: nighttime was _always_ cold. But it was the kind of cold that made her shiver in anticipation, almost as if it was contributing to the magic of the moonlight, which was already purifying dazzling on its own. Or maybe it was all in her head, and she was just crazy and had a weird mind.

It was _also_ the kind of cold that kept you up at night.

Another reason why she shouldn't have been out here.

But it was _magical._ And Elsa knew that this wasn't a viable reason for nearly freezing to death—never mind the fact that she had an important test the next day—but she just couldn't. Stop.

A soft smile curled onto her lips, and despite the cold seeping into her bones, there was this sort of free sensation within her. The smile grew softer, and Elsa tore her gaze away from the sky for a brief moment, glancing down at her freezing fingers. Her hands gripped the railing of the balcony in a vise-like grip, but she soon directed her gaze back to the sky.

 _Beautiful,_ she remarked. _Gorgeous._

The wind picked up, and when Elsa shivered. When she finally drew herself back into her room, she blinked, surprised at the realization of how much time had truly passed. She closed the twin balcony doors and took a seat on her bed, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Her eyes half-closed, and a small sigh escaped her lips. At least today was Friday. Tomorrow was Saturday (they _did_ get weekends off, you know?), so at least she could sleep in as long as she wanted.

Elsa thought she heard music.

Maybe it was all in her head.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You stole the _last donut?!"_

Flynn blinked, infuriatingly calm. "So?"

Jack glared, letting out a groan. "I need some sugar in my system!"

"Not my problem," Flynn said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, it was never _your_ donut to steal. And anyway, you should get some _healthier_ sugar. Like fruit or something." Flynn made a wide gesture towards the fruit section. It was always well-stocked with fruit, probably because no one ever took the fruit. "I heard they're serving pineapple."

Jack glared. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Flynn scoffed. "How are you not some obese monster?"

Jack's glare deepened. "I should be asking _you_ that, donut thief."

Flynn simply responded with an exaggerated eye roll. "If you took the last donut, I wouldn't be accosting you like this."

"Not true!" Jack interjected.

"Yeah, well, if you keep making reasonable arguments, it makes it harder for me to win. Now shut up and leave me and my donut alone."

"Some friend _you_ are," Jack grumbled sullenly, though he would've done the exact same thing had situations been reversed. Instead, Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered off. He had only walked just outside of the cafeteria when he saw an interesting sight. Hans with Elsa. Both looked extremely awkward, but Jack ducked out of view. _This ought to be good,_ he thought.

 _Geez. And now you're **eavesdropping** on her now?_

 _Shut up. I can't hear them._

 _You never hear **anything** , period._

"—I was wondering if, um, I don't know, you'd like to..." Hans was saying. Ish. Mostly he was breathing a lot between sentences. The air felt really tense and awkward, and Jack almost failed to stifle his laughter. Hans trying to court Elsa was perhaps one of the strangest things, seeing as though Elsa might be _Hans'_ type, he definitely wasn't _hers._ Jack wasn't even sure Elsa _had_ a type.

Or maybe she did.

Maybe she just didn't know it yet.

 _You're hoping it's you? Oh please, I think Elsa would pick someone a lot more...opposite of you._

 _I'm **very**_ _desirable,_ Jack protested.

 _Sureeee._

Elsa ran a hand through her hair, attempting a small, barely there, smile. "Uh—"

Then, Jack leapt out of his hiding place and grabbed Elsa's arm. "Hey, didn't you say we could work on the Spanish project? Alright, let's go then." Elsa stared at him, utterly bewildered, as he dragged her away. When they arrived under the shade of a large hydrangea tree, he smiled at her primly. "You're welcome," he told her promptly, smirking at her astonishment.

"What?"

"You needed saving from that _disastrous_ attempt at conversation," he said, very matter-of-fact.

Elsa raised a brow. "It wasn't _disastrous."_

"Close enough," Jack said, smirking.

Elsa groaned but didn't contradict him. That satisfied him. "You know, if you were going to lie, you should've picked something a lot more believable," Elsa said, eying him carefully. He shot her a look that lucidly meant, _whatever do you mean?_ She simply rolled her eyes. "I mean, we don't even have Spanish together. Heck, I don't even _have_ Spanish as a class. I've got French."

"Ahem, I just saved you, you should be a little more grateful."

"A little more grateful?"

"No." He thought about it. "You should be a _lot_ more grateful."

"A lot more grateful?"

He shot her an exasperated look. "Are you just going to repeat everything I'm saying?"

Elsa shoved him. "Besides, Hans is _in_ my French class."

Jack had the audacity to smirk. "Pah, and we've got—what?—three classes together? If you're going after a guy, there are _plenty_ better than Hans."

"But I'm _not_ going after a guy," Elsa protested. Jack's smile widened at that. Elsa apparently took that the wrong way. "And _please,_ if you're suggesting _you,_ I would pick someone a lot less annoying." She finished the sentence with a disgusted scoff. Jack couldn't help but feel offended...and something else...at her abrupt words. Yes, he had teased her, but...the seriousness in her expression wasn't something he liked.

 _See?_ _She **admitted**_ _it herself that she would prefer someone that isn't annoying._

 _There is a time and place to talk, dumb conscience._

"I'm not annoying!" he cried indignantly.

 _Sure you aren't._

 _Correction, there is **never** a time and place for you to talk._

Elsa raised a brow. "Umm... Jack?"

He blushed crimson. "Yes?"

"Were you talking to that voice inside your head again?"

Why, oh why, did he tell her about that?

Instead, he feigned ignorance. "You... _sure?_ No, I don't think I did."

It was her turn to scoff. "Um, yeah, you _did."_

He was about to bite back with some snappy retort, and the words faded from his lips as he caught her eyes. Heat rushed to his head, and he smiled at her instead. "Maybe," he admitted reluctantly. He glanced away briefly. "By the way...I _am_ sorry...not for interrupting your _disastrous"_ —she glared at this—"attempt at conversation with Hans, but you know..." He trailed off.

Elsa's eyes widened. " _Jack Overland_ just _apologized_ to me?! What has this world come to?!"

"Hey, now," he said, offended, "I've apologized to you _plenty_ of times."

"Yeah?" she countered. "Like when?"

"Uh..."

His mind went blank.

 _Reminder to self: don't aggravate people by the name of 'Elsa Wynters.'_

 **Behind Her Smile  
**

"Hey...Elsa..."

Elsa looked up, half-surprised to see Hans. He had a slight smile on his face, which looked kind of cute in the nervous sort of way. He was holding something that looked like a brochure in his hands. His hair was as messy as usual in a stylish way, and his deep set green eyes reminded her of Rapunzel. She nodded at him. "Hey," she greeted, feeling suddenly awkward.

Hans cracked a small smile, revealing extremely white teeth. His jade green eyes flashed to her almost nervously— _nervous,_ Elsa thought. That was exactly how Hans was feeling right now: nervous. Elsa smiled at the realization and gestured over to his brochure. "What's that you're holding?" she asked softly. There was a dazzling painting of art on the cover.

Hans smiled bashfully and tilted his head to the side a little so that the light caught into his green eyes, threading them with hints of blue and flecks of aqua. "It's about a museum," Hans said, fumbling with the brochure for a moment to give her a better view. "Art and history. It's fascinating. Some about the Renaissance—and the Greeks. The Greeks were fascinating to learn about."

"Is the museum around here?" Elsa inquired.

Hans brightened immediately at her words. "Yeah. It's not that far. I was, um, wondering if..." He ran a hand through his hair shyly, tilting his head towards the ground so that his face was partially obscured with shadows. It was quite a shame, really, as he did that. The light stopped teasing blue into his eyes. Really, blue would've been a much better color on him...or maybe Elsa just had a preference for blue eyes.

"Yeah?" she prompted.

"If you'd like to go to the museum," he stammered. "With me. If you'd like to go to it—with me. Like, on a...date or something." His tongue tripped over the words.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise. A date? What? She caught Hans' gaze, considering. Hans was nice and cute, and the museum looked like quite a bit of fun—and Elsa knew that people didn't tend to be interested in those kind of things. And maybe it wouldn't be all that bad. Hans was a nice guy, and there was something cute about the way he rambled nervously.

Then again, Elsa wasn't really 'date-material.'

But...it could be fun.

The silence between them went on too long, and Hans looked mortified. He opened his mouth, no doubt to give her a rambling excuse to let her off the hook, but she spoke first. "Yeah, that would be...nice," she murmured, the pause between her words not _too_ noticeable. Hesitance or no, a smile burst out onto Hans' face, his happiness seemingly palpable.

"Great!" he said enthusiastically. "How about this afternoon? I'll text you the information?"

She smiled. "Cool." In her head, the word sounded lame, but Hans seemed pleased. They excused numbers, and Hans handed her the brochure before making some arrangements for the date or something. Elsa went back to her room, utterly dumbfounded. She had a date. How on earth did she have a _date?_ But...it was surprising how nice it felt—that Hans actually _wanted_ to go on a date with her. And the fact that he was nervous.

It was cute, really, and Hans was really nice.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You want us to ditch this awesome cafeteria for a _museum?"_

Jack stared at Flynn incredulously, wondering if Flynn had hit his head _really_ hard when he hadn't been paying attention. Flynn rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Of course not," he snapped. "Besides, this museum has an awesome _food court._ _And"_ —then, Flynn smirked as if someone had handed him the world on a silver plate—"there are donuts there, of course. Plus a bunch of artsy stuff."

Jack contemplated for oh about a second. "I'm in! How soon can we go?"

The museum itself didn't turn out to be an _absolute_ bore. Of course, it wasn't like going on _Flight Deck_ for the first time in your life, but it wasn't _bad_ —for a museum, of course. But Jack, being himself, didn't really go for the art. The donuts were quite wonderful. Glazed to perfection, fried to ecstasy. It was probably the best donut he had ever eaten in his tiny little life.

"I'll take a dozen of those and another dozen of whatever else is in here to go please."

Flynn raised a brow. "Did you just say 'please'?"

Jack glared. "Don't ruin this moment for me."

"What moment?" Flynn said incredulously.

"My moment with—" Jack stopped short as his donuts were brought in front of him. His eyes widened dreamily, and a smile melted onto his face. "My donuts," he finished, stroking the container of donuts and glancing around suspiciously as if just _waiting_ for something to steal them. Or maybe he was just daring people to. But everyone else around here seemed to just be in it for the art, with the donuts as a bonus or something.

Flynn rolled his eyes. "You're crazy."

Jack shot him a look. "Are you saying these _aren't_ the best donuts you've ever tasted in your pitiful existence?"

"No, but—"

"—then shut up."

Laughter brought Jack's attention to the two people entering the food court. His eyes widened impossibly as he stared in—in _absolute fascination_ at _Elsa_ with—wait for it, wait for it: _Hans._ Like, what? They weren't holding hands or anything couple-y or anything, but the fact that they were here—together, by _choice_ —was shocking to say the least. They ordered some food and sat down at a table, seemingly immersed in a conversation.

The sight sent boiling feelings in Jack.

Flynn followed his stare. "Huh. Wondered when Hans was going to ask her out."

Jack raised a brow skeptically. "There's no _way_ she's on a date with him. That defies everything known to man-kind. Besides, even if they are, there's no way she's having a good time."

"That's where you're wrong," Flynn said, observing the two. "They seem to be enjoying the date very much."

Jack's jaw dropped. For the second time. The first had been when he saw Elsa with Hans. "But—but," he spluttered, "they're so awkward around each other!"

Flynn raised a brow. "You've been _spying_ on them?"

"I wouldn't prefer the term _spying._ I'm just...watching them without them noticing...um..."

"You _do_ realize that that means the same thing as spying, right?"

Jack glared. "Whose side are you on?"

Flynn snorted. "Then I suppose it's not yours by the nasty tone you're giving me."

 **Behind Her Smile**

The nice thing about Hans was that he wasn't really stupid, so Elsa didn't have to dumb herself down for him.

The museum was actually quite enjoyable, and both Elsa and Hans were eager to put in whatever two cents they had about one thing or another. There was something really relaxing about it. Hans immediately appeared more confident in the academic terms of the museum, and the history behind it all was quite fascinating. He wasn't the worst person to be in a museum with. He was probably in the top ten or something actually.

She and Hans were currently in the food court. It was a neat tidy place, and it smelled nice.

She turned towards Hans, smiling softly. "This was...actually really nice." Her smile widened. "Thanks, Hans."

A soft smile curled onto his lips, and the skin around his incredibly green eyes crinkled slightly. "Don't sweat it," he murmured.

Then, a silence settled over them. Elsa could try to _pretend_ that it wasn't awkward, but...well, it was kind of awkward. But the food in front of them gave them an excuse not to talk. Elsa glanced around the clean food court before she—

Oh God. Why was Jack here?

She shot Hans a tight smile. "Can you excuse me for just _one second?"_

He smiled happily, blatantly oblivious. "Yeah, no problem. Take your time. That means the same as 'no problem.' Actually, no, it doesn't—actually, maybe you should just—"

"—yeah," Elsa said, biting back laughter. Then, she eased herself out of her seat and headed over to Jack. Flynn was nowhere in sight—which meant he was probably in the bathroom or ordering some more food or something. She crossed her arms as Jack waved and smirked that annoyingly egotistical smirk at her. She cut right to the chase. "Are you stalking me?"

Jack blinked a few times, as if waiting for her to continue or something. Or maybe that was just because he was letting the words sink into his thick skull. "What? Why would you think that?" His blue gaze flashed briefly to Hans. "I didn't even know you were going to be here. I'm solely here for one person." The worst part about it was that he actually looked _earnest._

Elsa scoffed, biting back a stinging retort. "And what's that purpose?" she said testily.

"Flynn told me about the donuts here," Jack said, very matter-of-fact, "and why would I let go of the opportunity of getting some fried dough?" He smirked. "Besides, this grub is way better than the stuff we have at the academy." He glanced at the donut he was holding. This one had a sort of symmetrical design, but Elsa doubted that Jack noticed or cared much about the design. He probably just got all of the donuts or something, knowing Jack.

"You serious?" She raised a brow. It was _very suspicious_ how he just _happened_ to be in this museum at this _very self-same day_ _at the exact same time._ She sighed. Well, there _were_ such things as coincidences—though she would think that Jack would have another snappy retort if she voiced those words. "Well, enjoy your...um, fried dough," she mumbled. Then, she headed back over to Hans.

He smiled at her arrival. "You wanna go check out some more art?"

She glanced briefly at Jack, who was engrossed in his donuts. She grinned at Hans. "Sure."

"Great! 'Cause I saw this _awesome_ exhibit about..."

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack couldn't help but watch as Elsa exited with Hans. It wasn't like he was stalking them or anything—but it was, you know, _weird._

"Ah, still the ever-present stalker, I see."

Jack scowled as Flynn re-entered the room. "You know, I was having a fine day before you entered my life. Maybe you could exit my life, and it'll go back to the _perfection_ it was before you arrived."

Flynn scoffed. "Please. Your life wasn't 'all that.'"

Jack slumped in his seat. "Let's just leave," he grumbled sullenly. "It's Saturday, and I don't exactly want to spend my Saturday in a museum of all places." He got out of his seat, package of donuts safely tucked in his pack. "You should host a rager or something," Jack advised wisely. "It would make this Saturday a hell of a lot more exciting."

Flynn considered it. "Yeah, why not? Let's grab some supplies first."

Jack grinned. "Like food?"

Flynn placed a hand over his heart tenderly. "Bless your soul, you know me so well."

"So, how fast can we do this?"

Flynn grinned. "As fast as we want, brother!"

 **Behind Her Smile**

"That was so cool!"

Hans grinned. "Wasn't it?"

Elsa blushed in spite herself. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way. The museum was really nice." She glanced wistfully at the building behind them. The sunset was in full swing, deep reds and purples mingling with the pink, the deep colors of bronze and gold weaving through the heady blue. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. It delighted her, as crazy as that might seem. She could've watched the sky forever.

If only...

"Look, there's an ice-cream shop," Hans said, pointing. He smiled shyly. "Wanna go?"

She shrugged, smiling softly. "Sure."

They headed inside, immediately in a cool room with many delicious aromas. Hans ordered vanilla and caramel whilst Elsa ordered mint chocolate chip. They sat on a table near the large windows. Hans had ordered his scoop in a cone, but Elsa had hers in a bowl. The ice cream felt rich and creamy against her tongue. She could see Hans making valleys along his ice cream with his tongue.

Then, he looked up, smiling in a way that looked cute. His green eyes were darkened by the dim lighting of the ice cream shop, and Elsa thought she saw swirls of endless turquoise in his eyes—a nice touch. A happy, maybe even slightly oblivious smile was on his lips, but she didn't mind that all that much. He was nice, and it was flattering, really.

When they headed back to the academy, Hans suggested that they walk. It was nice out, and Elsa was inclined to agree with him. The sky was an artful array of colors, some washed out by the some, some vibrant and glowing. They didn't talk much, though, but the silence wasn't awkward. It was sort of...comfortable. It felt...nice.

Hans broke the silence, and Elsa realized how worried he looked. "How...was it?"

Elsa blinked a few times. He could've been talking about several things: the museum, the food court, the ice cream, or the whole date itself. Instead of asking him to clarify, Elsa shrugged slightly and smiled in what she hoped was an amiable way. "It was great," she told him, warm feelings washing through her spine when a smile broke out on Hans' face. It rather reminded her of the sun breaking through an array of clouds.

Then, very hesitantly, Hans said, "I like hanging out with you, Elsa."

It seemed to take him a lot of courage to come up to that milestone.

So she smiled, agreeing. "Yeah, me, too."

 **Behind Her Smile**

The party was already in full swing by the time Jack and Flynn—the honorary _hosts_ of the party—arrived.

It was held in Flynn's room. The dorm matron wouldn't bother them and wouldn't care much, Jack was sure. He and Flynn had invited everyone—teachers and people who would suck the fun out of anything and everything excluded, that was a given—and the room was packed. Music was blasting, and red cups littered the ground as people swayed across the...er, room (normally, parties would be in a club with a _dance floor_ but seeing as they were in an academy...).

Taking a few donuts, Jack turned to Flynn. "My shift, right?"

Flynn nodded. "Yup," he said, popping his 'p.'

Even though they were fairly sure that no one would interrupt their rager, they still took precautions. Jack, Flynn, and some others would rotate shifts to keep a watch out. Jack already had a text ready in case there was trouble. In that case, the party would be disbanded (everyone would head down to Naveen's room, which was directly underneath Flynn's room), and a few guys would rush to clean every last evidence of a party and brush it off as just them 'joking around.' They had never gotten caught (thank God), but there _had_ been several close calls in the past that called for such precautions.

Jack headed down the hall and leaned against the wall, simultaneously stuffing a chocolate-covered donut into his mouth. He nearly sank into the ground with ecstasy as the chocolate melted into the ground. And yes, Jack always took a snack—usually donuts—when he took his watch. He glanced over, suddenly put on guard as he saw a distant figure entering the hall. He narrowed his eyes, reaching a hand into his pocket for his phone, ready in case. If the dorm matron made a stop by and wanted to see the racket, Jack would have to text Flynn, stall for as long as he could, and then pray that everyone was out. They had actually timed how long it would take for them to clean up a rager. At least ten minutes was sufficient.

But Jack was awesome at distracting people, so if the dorm matron _did_ come, he should have no problem.

 _"Jack?"_

Jack froze. "Elsa?"

She approached, snickering. "I knew you were a no-lifer, but have you resorted to loitering on other floors with a box of donuts?"

"Hey, I'm not a no-lifer, and I'm not loitering," he defended stubbornly. "Besides, this isn't a box. It's a _bag._ Get your facts straight."

"My bad," she snickered. She crossed her arms. "Anyway, why is it so loud? I can literally hear the vibrations from my floor."

Jack smiled, chomping a third of his glazed donut. He paused. "Want one?" he offered. She shook her head and gave him a look that said, _you're not going to distract me from my question, so you better just get on with it unless you want me to get the teacher here or something._...or maybe he read too far into that look. Nevertheless, he sighed. "Well, we threw a rager." Seeing her blank look, he clarified, "A rager's a type of party."

She shot him a dirty look. "I know what a rager is, thank you very much," she said snarkily.

He shrugged. "My bad, my bad, but you don't seem like the type of rager girl."

"Should I be offended?"

"Er...I guess not?"

She shook her head. "And I didn't mean it like _that._ I _mean:_ who's 'we'?"

He rolled his eyes. "Me and Mr. North," he deadpanned.

"Oh please, I passed Mr. North on my way here," Elsa scoffed.

He raised a brow. "You really don't get this sarcasm thing, do you? Anyway, Flynn and I threw it." He caught her gaze and flashed her a sheepish smile. "And I'm sorry about the rager. We got bored. Well, I got bored—and he was good company for a rager." His gaze softened. "Sorry. Were you studying or something?" He glanced over back at the room. "I mean, I could give them a warning and pretend if it's too much..."

A small smile curled onto Elsa's lips. "That's nice of you to offer, but"—she grimaced—"I'll be fine."

"I could walk you to your room if you want," he offered. He smirked. "I _am_ quite the gentleman."

"Uh..." Elsa raised a brow. "What about your rager?"

He grinned. "Hey, we don't get caught. And I'll get Flynn to cover for me or something." She opened her mouth to speak, but Jack darted back to Flynn's room, opening the door just a crack (already the music flooded his eyes—Elsa was right about the vibrations) and slipping through the crack. He saw Flynn dancing with Rapunzel and gestured his friend over. Flynn looked at him, confused, before coming over to Jack.

"What's up?" Flynn said.

"Your shift," Jack said simply.

Flynn blinked blearily. "Oh? Alright then." He glanced back wistfully at Rapunzel.

Jack grinned. "I'll cover for another minute."

He slipped out the door and saw Elsa standing there, a little awkwardly. She looked at him strangely, and he smiled back crookedly at her. He offered a hand to her. She stared at his hand but didn't take it. He grinned, retracting his hand. "I'm just messing with you, sweetheart," he said, smirking as he saw her eyes widen his words. "Just messing with you," he mumbled.

Elsa nodded slowly. "Right."

He smiled at her. "Then let's go."

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _"Jack,_ you said no detours!"

"Actually, _you_ said no detours—I said nothing about it!"

Elsa groaned. _"Jack,"_ she complained.

His blue eyes gleamed with an unspoken emotion. "I promise you'll like it," he assured her. He looked so earnest. Screw him. His smile widened. _He_ was obviously pleased about her agreeing—or, well, at the very least, not protesting. Sort of. But when it came down to it, he was dragging her to...who knew where? And she wasn't exactly stopping him.

"Jack, do you have any idea how late it is—?"

The words fell straight out of her mouth as Jack came to a halt. They were in the garden, AKA 'his lair.' She gasped as she stared up overhead. Millions among millions of twinkling jewel-like stars exploded out into the sky. No clouds dusted the sky, and the luminous moon was full and bright and beautiful, an aura upon itself. Elsa was positively dazzled at the sight.

Jack smiled at her. "Nice, isn't it?" he said happily.

"Better than nice!" Elsa exclaimed. "How'd you know I wanted to see the sky?"

Jack smiled, grabbing a pew by her. "You've only mentioned it five hundred times," he joked.

"Yeah, but I never thought you listened," Elsa told him.

"Surprise," Jack said, ducking his head. He pointed at a constellation. "See that one? That's Aquarius. And that one—Aquila."

She stared at him, amazed. "How do you know?"

"Are you saying I'm stupid?" he teased. He shook his head ruefully. "Naw, I searched them up online and spent half an hour checking them out in the sky to make sure I had them down instead of studying for that history test we have coming up." Elsa's eyes widened, and Jack laughed. "I'm just messing with you. Flynn and I used to look at the stars, actually. We would count them out and name them because we were bored and didn't want to go to sleep. And his parents thought we were being productive." Jack's blue gaze turned slightly distant. "Astronomy isn't the worst in the world."

"No," Elsa said gently, "I suppose it wouldn't be." She smiled. "I don't think I'd ever tire from this view," she murmured.

Jack's smile was real and warm. "Do you know much about stars?"

"Strictly the ones visible from the Northern Hemisphere," she joked.

He grinned. "That's not weird at all." His smile softened. "You know, if you ever need anything to talk about...for anything...I'll always be here."

They stayed silent and just stared at the stars for a bit. Elsa was dazzled by the brilliant display above their heads. Stars encompassed among more stars—it all just lit up the sky in such a remarkable way. It was like Elsa's personal light show. It was so dazzling, so beautiful, and Elsa was just absolutely enraptured by the stunning display above their heads.

Somewhere through this, Elsa suddenly become conscious of the fact that Jack was staring at her. She met his deep-set blue eyes, just a ring of buffed sapphire glowing in the dim. Warmth spread through her as their eyes locked. The look in his eyes was tender and soft, something that surprised and thrilled her at the same time. A soft smile was on his lips.

Then, he leaned forward and kissed her. His lips were soft and gentle, not at all what Elsa was expecting. But that wasn't the part that shocked her the most. The fact that she was _kissing him back_ did. Then, he pulled back, looked directly into her eyes, and smiled. Then, he turned back to the stars, leaving her stunned. Blush crept upon her cheeks.

 _Did that just happen?_

Elsa closed her eyes. Warmth spread through her despite the breezy chill in the air.

"You know what?" Jack said suddenly. "You're right. I don't think I'd ever tire from this view." She kept her eyes closed, humming softly in response.

Had she opened her eyes, she would've realized that Jack wasn't looking at the display of glittering stars above their heads, or the moon glowing with ethereal beauty.

He was looking at her.

 **Behind Her Smile**

 _I'm dreaming._

 _No, I'm dreaming inside a dream._

 _Stop it, Elsa. That doesn't even make any sense._

Elsa opened her blue eyes. She had tossed and turned in bed for the past half hour, maybe more, but sleep would not come to her. Not this night. She could probably just rustle around for the rest of the night and still not get a wink of sleep. Blue eyes and a sweet smile invaded her mind. Magical and blissful and so surreal, but oh God, was she going crazy or something?

"Forget sleep," Elsa muttered, giving up.

She eased herself off her bed and entered the bathroom. She turned on the light and splashed some icy water on her face. She looked up at the mirror. Her blue eyes were wild, maybe from excitement or adrenaline, and her cheeks were flushed. And no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that her cheeks were crimson because of the cold water, she could not.

Elsa pressed her fingertips against the sink, sighing deeply. Her thoughts were a whirlwind in her mind. They seemed to just go and go, and she couldn't grasp any particular thought because of the rate they were going at. When she tried to grasp one and read it, she just felt queasy and dizzy. She decided to let the thoughts go and just cleanse her mind—but it wasn't as simple as that.

Breathing in sharply, Elsa shifted some stray strands of her hair out of her face, closing her eyes. The image followed her, not that she should've expected any less. Her breath caught as she saw the oh so familiar frost-colored eyes framed out by an ice-like sheen of a complexion. Why the heck was she thinking about Jack Overland? ...clearly, the universe had gone bonkers.

But, luckily for Elsa, she had a best friend by the name 'Rapunzel' who was sure to distract her.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Elsa immediately chickened out.

Anyway, it wasn't like she _wasn't_ going to tell Rapunzel. Just...not yet. The Jack thing could wait. It wasn't even bothering Elsa...at least...not _that_ much—at the moment. She _would_ tell Rapunzel—just later, when she actually found the words to say something. Besides, Elsa also had other news to tell the girl—providing that the long-haired girl hadn't heard already.

The expectant look in Rapunzel's eyes definitely wasn't helping. But Elsa couldn't say _that_ because then, Rapunzel would _know_ something was up.

"Well...I went on a date with Hans."

Rapunzel's light green eyes widened. _"Really?"_ Rapunzel actually _squealed._ The news wasn't exactly out of this world, but it certainly wasn't _squeal_ worthy. Well...she supposed that was just Rapunzel. Rapunzel clapped her hands together happily. "So, what did you guys do? A movie? I mean, he seems like the movie type of person. Or did he take to a restaurant or something?"

"A museum."

Rapunzel scrunched up her nose. "What?"

"A museum," Elsa said. Then, she grew defensive. "It was a very nice museum—art. And the food there was great, too. We also went for ice cream later."

Rapunzel blinked. She almost looked disappointed. "Well, I guess that's something." A smile crept up on her lips. "You haven't been on very many dates, have you?"

Elsa blushed. "Was it that obvious?"

Rapunzel grinned. "Well..." She then proceeded to trail off. "He's handsome, though. But—the important question: did you have a good time?"

Did it make the top ten best times of her life? Not by a long shot. But Hans _was_ nice—and now that Rapunzel had mentioned it, very handsome. Elsa smiled softly. "Well, yeah. He knew a lot about the art, and yeah...we had a good time." Why did her words sound like she was trying to convince herself? Elsa tried to play it off with a casual smile.

Rapunzel smiled. "Okay, now the _real_ question: do you want to go out with him again?"

Elsa paused. _Did_ she? "He's nice..." Elsa said, hesitating. "I..." She blinked. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I mean, it was fun."

Rapunzel had the audacity to laugh—but at least she tried to mask up her laughter. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at _you._ It's just...whenever a girl hesitates before answering that question, it means she's leaning towards the _not really._ I mean, don't get me wrong: I think you and Hans would make a super cute couple—if you actually went further with your relationship."

Elsa smiled at Rapunzel's logic. "Maybe..."

"Anyway," Rapunzel mused, "speaking of cute guys, I saw Jack earlier, and he was looking for you."

 _Don't make a stupid face, don't make a stupid face, don't make a stupid face._

Elsa tried to appear indifferent. "Really?"

"Yeah." Rapunzel smiled, dubious. "Any idea what he might want?"

"Not really," Elsa answered honestly. She frowned slightly. "Jack was actually at the museum when I was on my date with Hans."

Rapunzel raised a brow. "That doesn't sound like Jack."

"He was there for the donuts."

 _"That_ sounds more like Jack."

Elsa grinned. "Yeah. I accused him of stalking me."

Rapunzel still looked slightly puzzled. "Not sure why he would want to talk to you—I mean, I know you guys are friends and all, but he looked a little...I don't know, anxious or something. Nervous." Elsa was positively sure that her heart had stopped. Rapunzel cleared her throat. "Well, I mean, he was acting a bit weird, but when _isn't_ Jack acting weird?"

Elsa took a moment to answer. "Yeah."

Rapunzel grinned, happy-go-lucky once more. "Anyway, did you hear the rager they threw the other day?"

The mention of the rager made Elsa feel uncomfortable at once. "I, er, felt the vibrations. I'm surprised the dorm matron didn't catch them," she remarked. Talk about sleeping on the job! "Jack told me all about their little deduction system of how they patrol the area just in case someone _does_ come in." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "It was smarter than what I expected from someone like him."

"Don't let Jack hear you insult him like that!" Rapunzel teased. Then, she frowned. "Wait—when did you talk to Jack?"

 _Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush._

"Oh, um, didn't I mention it? I was going to yell at him for being so loud." Elsa was quick to change the subject. "That's a nice necklace."

Rapunzel went full on 'gush' mode. "Oh, thanks! Flynn gave it to me!"

Rapunzel fingered the necklace. An emerald hung from a gold chain, something that definitely suited Rapunzel's features. Elsa tore her gaze away from the gleaming necklace and half-listened as Rapunzel chattered on about one thing or another. Elsa just nodded sagely at regular intervals, and Rapunzel would be pleased. Call Elsa shameless, but she _did_ have a lot on her mind.

She was probably just tired. That was probably why her mind was overly-focused on one thing.

 **Behind Her Smile**

So, Jack kissed Elsa.

He had a perfectly reasonable explanation for it! ...he just hadn't found it yet.

But there were loads of reasons. One, he just came from a rager and was pretty brain-dead. Another, it was _really_ late at night, and he was probably really tired. And for another...well, Jack was as susceptible to lust as anyone else. And, as proven earlier, Elsa _was_ very pretty. And she was...well, his type, certainly (except for her bossy personality).

But there was no way he actually _liked_ her, right? After all, there was a difference between like and _like._

He didn't like her...did he?

NO. Of _course_ he didn't. Besides, she didn't even like him. Yes, they were friends. _Good_ friends. But that was it.

And yeah, Elsa was a good kisser, something he hadn't expected from someone as aloof as her. And yes, that kiss meant more than kisses with random girls. But there was a perfectly justified explanation for that. For one, Elsa wasn't a random stranger. She was his _friend._ A stubborn one, but a good one. For another, that was, like, literally their _first_ kiss (and _only_ kiss because he obviously didn't like her, not like _that)._ There was bound to be something different about that kiss.

They were friends. And that was all.

That was what he wanted.

[Wasn't it?]

 **Behind Her Smile**

There was something up in the air, but Rapunzel couldn't quite put her finger on it.

It had something to do with Elsa. Rapunzel wondered if Elsa knew that Rapunzel caught those strange things that kept happening. More specifically, when Rapunzel talked about Jack. Rapunzel wasn't sure what the heck had happened between the two—after all, things didn't seem _that_ different, but still...there was something undeniably different.

Which was why Rapunzel was crafting up an experiment.

Yes, maybe Rapunzel wasn't being a good friend, but she _knew_ Elsa. Elsa would lull her into a completely separate conversation, and Rapunzel would never be able to openly ask Elsa about Jack. And besides, Elsa wasn't good with boys and feelings. Rapunzel was almost sure that Elsa would change the subject, lie, or merely hide the truth.

It all amounted to the same thing: Rapunzel not getting the answers she desired.

Rapunzel knocked on Elsa's door. Elsa opened almost immediately. Rapunzel had asked Elsa if she could help her study for some upcoming exam. She knew Elsa wouldn't decline. But Rapunzel actually had to _work_ so she made this all believable and stuff. Elsa was smart, but sneakiness wasn't in her suit. She wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

After about a billion hours working on math equations, Rapunzel groaned. "Let's take a break!" Her frustration wasn't entirely all faked. After all, spending her day working on math wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. But Elsa merely smiled at her in that quiet, innocent way that reminded Rapunzel of...well, innocence. There was no other way to describe it.

"You're getting the hang of it," Elsa encouraged, tone reassuring. "Sort of..." Elsa smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Not your fault," Rapunzel mumbled. "It's not your fault I can't stick an equation in my brain. Anyway..." She leaned against the ground and stared at the ceiling, golden locks like thick tendrils snaking all around her. She glanced over at Elsa, who was slipping a silk bookmark between Rapunzel's math book and closing it. "You know," Rapunzel said breezily, playing the perfect role of innocence, "I saw Jack the other day."

Elsa seemed indifferent. "Really? What did he want?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "We exchanged a few words, but...I don't know. He seems... _different."_ She smiled. "I think it's because of you."

Elsa raised a brow. "Did you hit your head _really_ hard, Rapunzel? Again, might I add?"

"No," Rapunzel said defensively. "And I only hit my head really hard _once."_ _Stay on track, Rapunzel._ Rapunzel took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. Elsa played with a number two pencil. "Anyway...I don't know, I feel like he likes you, or you like him or something." Elsa froze at her words briefly, and Rapunzel raised a brow at Elsa. "What do you think?"

Elsa cleared her throat. "You think _that?"_ There was a thick level of skepticism in Elsa's voice.

"Yeah," Rapunzel said boldly, flushing slightly. She caught Elsa's gaze. "Do you?"

Elsa scoffed. "Please. Jack?"

"Good," Rapunzel said, smiling. "Because he'd only break your heart. He's done it to countless others."

Elsa nodded. "Alright. Break's over. Let's go back to question twenty three."

Rapunzel didn't fail to catch how Elsa had evaded the question.

Elsa was smart. Rapunzel just hoped that Elsa wouldn't fall for Jack because just look at the school. It was very, _very_ easy to fall for him.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Soon after Rapunzel left, Elsa found herself staring at the TV mindlessly. There was some old movie playing on: _My Babysitter's A Vampire._ Elsa distantly remembered watching that movie with Anna years ago and how Anna had wanted to be a vampire and just had an obsession with them for _ages_ before she moved onto the next thing to obsess over.

Elsa couldn't help but feel that Rapunzel was a lot smarter than she usually acted. Yes, she knew that Rapunzel was smart, but in their last conversation, Elsa couldn't help but feel that though academics might be troubling for the beautiful girl, she was quite the expert in a few _other_ things. Like...relationships and boys and confusing everything could be when you had no idea what you were doing.

The way Rapunzel asked questions about Jack made Elsa feel...strange. The whole conversation left her with a strange feeling. Elsa knew that she was probably being paranoid because this was Rapunzel, and Rapunzel could prattle about one thing or another at random intervals, but somehow, a part of her felt as if Rapunzel was purposely asking the questions...

But why? It didn't make sense. Why would Rapunzel be so interested in whatever relationship might harbor with Jack?

...unless Rapunzel found out about how Elsa and Jack had kissed? Elsa began to panic. What if Rapunzel had just been testing her, to see if she'd tell the truth or not? And if Rapunzel had been testing her, then Elsa would've failed, most assuredly. Taking a deep breath, Elsa pulled out her phone. _Breath,_ she told herself consistently. _Just breathe._ The mantra rang through her head for several more moments.

Elsa quickly put her phone down. She wasn't sure _what_ she'd say to Rapunzel. Steeling herself, Elsa got out of her room. She headed towards the cafeteria and grabbed an apple. She wasn't sure why she'd come here, but she just...needed to do something normal, something mundane, to appease her worrying mind. A familiar voice brought Elsa back to the present.

"Elsa! Hey!"

Elsa turned and smiled to see Anna. She hadn't talked with her sister in a while, and she was glad to see her. "Hey, how are you?"

"Great!" Anna exclaimed. "Anyway, so in math, there was the _cutest_ guy ever. I mean, he wasn't in the class or anything, but he just entered and said something to the teacher. And then Jasmine had to take him to wherever he was supposed to go. I'm not even sure exactly what he was doing there, but he was just so cute, and then, I totally forgot what lesson we were on. And the teacher called on me and stuff, and I didn't even know what we were doing, right? So I was all embarrassed and stuff, but it was all fine because I couldn't get the image of that guy out of my head, and oh my God, Elsa, how are you? I haven't seen you in, like, _forever,_ and we, like, live in the same place, so I don't even know how that's possible," Anna continued, talking a mile a minute as usual.

Yes, Elsa loved her sister, but pretending to understand everything that Anna had just said was a step too far.

"I'm glad," Elsa managed to say as Anna watched her expectantly. "You know me: happy-go-lucky." Elsa took a moment to speak. "So, who's the guy?"

A large grin exploded on Anna's lips. "His name is Hans. I found that out later from Tiana when I mentioned him. He has, like, red hair and _really_ green eyes. And he's so dreamy, and he was so charming and nice to the teacher. I feel like he's my soulmate or something, and Tiana said that you knew him, so I guess I want to ask you about him. I mean, how is he? Do you think he's cute? Is he as nice as he seems? You have French with him, don't you? I know his entire schedule because I asked a bunch of people—but don't let him find out. I mean, that seems _so_ stalker-like, and I don't want him to think that I'm a stalker or anything, which, I suppose, I kind of am for doing all that stuff, but I just wanted to get to know him."

Elsa blinked, taking a moment to process all of that information. "Um... Well, yeah, I guess I know him. And yeah, he's very nice." Elsa smiled softly. So Anna _hadn't_ found out about her date with Hans. It wasn't like Elsa considered Hans a boyfriend or anything, but she wasn't exactly sure _where_ they stood after that date. She still felt as if they were just friends, but some people might not see it that way. She had to talk to him and clear things up. And what if he tried to ask her out again? What would she say?

"He _is?"_ Anna seemed thrilled. "Really? Do you think that—?"

"— _Anna,"_ Elsa interrupted, amused. "I mean, if you want, I can introduce the two of you."

"AWESOME!" Anna exclaimed. "I want to change into something nice first. Five minutes, okay?"

Elsa barely had any time to nod before Anna dashed off. Elsa shook her head ruefully. She had no idea how her sister had that much energy and optimism, but she had to admit that that was quite a refreshing quality of Anna's. Not a lot of people could remain so optimistic like her. Anna was certainly special. Elsa froze as a hand touched her shoulder gently. She turned, and a warm smile spread across her lips.

"Hey, Hans," she greeted.

He smiled at her. "Hey, Elsa." His smile turned bashful. "How are you?"

"Great. Now, listen..." Elsa smiled. "My sister kind of wants to meet you. Her name is Anna."

Hans tilted his head. "The energetic one?"

Elsa mimed a trigger. "Yeah, that's her. Now, listen..."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"HEY, JACK."

"RAPUNZEL, DON'T DO THAT."

Jack glared at the overly-excited girl standing in front of him. Her light-green eyes glittered with mischief, and a bright grin was on her face. Jack placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart. Rapunzel had just caught him just as he stepped out of the library, probably attempting to study. The _last thing_ he could possible need was for an ambitious girl to leap out in front of him and scare the daylights out of his dead brain. Which was exactly why she did it.

"Sorry," Rapunzel said apologetically, hiding her smile. But he saw the glint in her eyes. Of course he did."I just saw you and thought I'd say hi."

"Well"—Jack brushed past her—"you've seen me, _and_ you've said hi."

She had to run to keep up with him, and Jack finally stopped, deciding to put the girl out of misery. He raised a brow at her, and Rapunzel smiled sweetly, watching him with an intent stare. Jack smiled back crookedly at her, but it probably came out as more of a grimace than a smile. Did that delay Rapunzel? No, duh, this was _Rapunzel._ "You know," Rapunzel said conversationally, "I saw Elsa the other day."

His face screamed: Why, _oh why, can't I go through an entire conversation with someone without someone mentioning Elsa Freaking Wynters?_

"Yeah?" Jack grunted. "What about her?"

"Well, she actually helped me study earlier, but—" Rapunzel paused for breath and clutched her book bag, a wide smile spreading across her lips. She shrugged. "I don't know. I see you checking her out sometimes." It wasn't a lie. Rapunzel _had_ seen Jack look at her, but was there honestly a difference on the way Jack looked at Elsa compared to the way he looked at other girls?

Jack scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Defensive," Rapunzel commented. She wouldn't have expected _that_ particular comment from Jack, but Jack wasn't known for being predictable. If anything, he was the exact opposite. She wasn't sure whether she liked that part about him or hated it. It sure made him a hell of a lot of trouble for everyone else around him. "I'm just saying," Rapunzel said, raising her hands in defense, "don't go checking her out or anything."

"Or what?" Jack snorted. "You'll send me to Fairy Godmother. _Please."_

Rapunzel turned her steely gaze towards Jack. "I'm just saying—she's my friend. I don't want you to do anything or think that she can be manipulated."

"Have you even _met_ Elsa?" Jack scoffed, crossing his arms. "She won't take crap from anyone, much less me. She might not outright yell at someone, but she'll do it in more sneakier ways." He shook his head, and a slight frown befell Rapunzel's lips. "I don't think Elsa can be manipulated—and why the hell would I have feelings for her? I mean, she's a great girl and all, but if I'm falling for someone, I would choose someone a hell less annoying."

Rapunzel took a moment to process his words. For someone trying to play it off as a nonchalant being, Jack was failing in that category. He didn't have to spew out an entire paragraph just to prove his point. Rapunzel wasn't stupid.

"Just back off, Rapunzel," Jack finished.

Rapunzel scoffed. "Alright, alright."

If Jack wasn't willing to open up, maybe Flynn would have some answers. Rapunzel pulled out her phone and was about to dial her boyfriend's number when she reconsidered. Instead, she sent him a quick text that read _meet me in the food court in five._ Then, Rapunzel made her way to the food court. Not to her surprise, she already saw Flynn in there, chomping a third of his sandwich. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

Rapunzel headed over and gave him a small hug. "Are you always here?" she remarked.

Flynn grinned. "No. Just most of the time."

"I have a question," Rapunzel informed him.

"'Bout what?"

"Your best friend Jack Overland."

Flynn smirked. "Shoot, blondie."

Rapunzel nodded, smiling. "I was just wondering...if there was anything going on between him and Elsa," Rapunzel said. Flynn's smirk faltered at that. Bingo. He _had_ to know something. "I mean, it's just—I don't know... You know how Jack is. I just want to make sure he isn't going to hurt her or anything, you know?" Rapunzel sighed. Flynn thought she was coming from the perspective of a concerned friend, which was what she was.

"Honestly, I think he does like her," Flynn told her slowly. Then, a crooked smile spread across his lips. "Not that Jack would ever admit it. But I know he values Elsa's friendship, you know? He's different to _her._ He lets her tease him, and then he'll tease her back. Not like with other girls." Flynn shrugged. "To be honest, I think Jack likes her because she's different, refreshing."

Refreshing. Yes, there were a lot of words to describe Elsa. And yes, refreshing could be one of them. But when Rapunzel thought of Elsa, she thought of a refined and elegant person. Beautiful and smart. Shy yet artistic. Elsa was a great person. She just needed a little more confidence to embrace her true potential. Elsa could achieve great things in her life, no doubt.

Rapunzel nodded. "I agree," she said softly. "But I feel like it's deeper than that."

Flynn caught her gaze and laughed. "Jack just _isn't_ the type to fall in love with someone. You know that, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"But, just for the record, if there was a soulmate for Jack, I would feel like it would be Elsa."

"Yeah," Rapunzel muttered. "That's what scares me."

* * *

 **QotD: Have you ever watched Riverdale?**

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 **A/N: So, this chapter. I'll be honest: I don't particularly like it that much. I mean, some parts I adored writing, but I felt as if I wrote the whole thing in the strangest way. I feel as if the words didn't flow into each other smoothly. Does that even make sense? BUT I wanted to get this chapter out there because we just hit 100,000 words! Yes! That means this story is halfway done. I revised the outline a bit, so the next chapter should be easier (hopefully) to write.**

 **Anyway, let's get to the big news: Jack and Elsa kissed! Finally, tenth chapter, and they finally locked lips! Don't worry, it's a lot more complicated than that. Don't worry, they'll get together. Eventually... Sort of. Maybe. Kind of. QUIT GRILLING ME. The next chapter is really the one to tie up some ends and explain the _real_ aftermath after the kiss. There will be fluff! xD**

 **Also, how about that date between Hans and Elsa? A museum, eh? What would you have expected?**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	11. Catch Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 11 - Catch Me  
**

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 **"What if all the stars aligned?** **Could I ever make you mine?** **When the movie ends, we could be the ever after, y** **ou and I." - Excerpt from _Hey, Princess,_ Allstar Weekend  
**

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 **A/N: SURPRISE! Wow. First day of December, and here we have it: an update. It's so weird how I write: I can take forever, and then, this. I actually wrote this in three/four days, more or less, and then got started on the next chapter. You know, I'm thinking about maybe doing a back-to-back Christmas update. One on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas. That is, if I can manage. That would total to three updates in December. Determined to make it happen!  
**

 **Also, I put a new character into this story. Excuse me if he's _incredibly_ different than portrayed. It just had to be done.**

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When Elsa woke up, she wasn't sure what to stress more about: Jack Overland or her math exam.

Before that event that occurred a few days ago, Elsa would've chosen her math exam, hands down. It was worth over a third of her grade, and Elsa had been so distracted doing things that she shouldn't have been doing (AKA going on dates, helping her friends study, and stressing over pathetic things). Ms. Gerda had just popped up the exam at the last minute, giving Elsa and her class some half hour long lecture on how important the exam was.

But then Jack had to act all charming and romantic and considerate. He had kissed her and then whispered the most romantic words into her ear. If Elsa was being honest, she would've said that that night had been amazing, all things considered. She had completely forgot about everything else. It was just Jack and Elsa, no bothersome best friends or crazy sisters or aggravating boys. Jack had smelled like _freedom,_ and Elsa would've been content to stay in that position forever.

But then, Jack had to go and act as if nothing had ever happened.

And _that_ was why Elsa was so torn. Jack was acting like they never had a moment, and somehow, against all odds, it was slowly killing her.

Elsa wasn't even sure why. Sure, Jack was attractive and could be a great person to hold conversation with, but there was no way that it was supposed to be upsetting her so much. And he didn't even seem bothered by it. They were currently in Mr. Pabbie's history class, which they shared for first period. Jack was just sitting in his seat and joking around with his friends. He had smiled at her when she had entered—but then again, he always did so. It was like he thought there was nothing different between the two of them.

As Elsa studied him, Jack didn't seem any different to her. His eyes were the exact same shade of frost, and they were very clear, very lucid. They seemed to sparkle when he laughed and joked around with his friends. There was an alertness to him, as though if someone told him that the school was on fire, he would safely evacuate everyone out. It wasn't a strange vibe...but coming from _him?_ Sort of.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Elsa turned towards her side to see Tiana. They were friendly during classes and when they passed each other in the halls, but it wasn't like they personally went out of their way to hang out. Tiana was a pretty girl with beautiful skin and dark eyes. She always reminded Elsa of some sort of exotic African princess or something with her drop-dead gorgeous looks.

"I'm fine," Elsa said tightly, managing a small smile. "I'm just...thinking about that math exam we have."

Understanding flashed in Tiana's eyes. "Oh, that's why you look so miserable!" Wait—Elsa looked _miserable?_ She was so bothered by Jack that it was showing on her _features?_ What? A small smile was on Tiana's lips. "I'm worried about that, too, but I don't think you should stress too much about it. I mean, you're really smart, Elsa. You'll do fine," Tiana reassured.

"Yeah," Elsa muttered, forcing her expression of disdain down. "That explains it," she said through tight lips.

Suddenly, a strict looking man entered the room. Hans was by his side. The man said, "He's being transferred to this class." The man handed Mr. Pabbie a slip of paper that the history teacher read over. Then, Mr. Pabbie nodded at Hans and instructed him to take a seat or something. Unsurprisingly, Hans took a seat next to Elsa, shooting her a small smile.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hi," she greeted. "So, how'd you manage a transfer? Mr. Pabbie _hates_ getting newcomers. Something about 'disrupting the education.'"

Hans grinned. "Well, my original history class was conflicting with some of my other classes and some other stuff, so my history class got transferred to first period." He nodded. "So, what're we working on in this class right now?" He squinted at the board, and a look of distaste crossed his green eyes. "We're working on a project." Then, his eyes gleamed. "Do you think he'll let us choose our own partners?"

Elsa shrugged. "Beats me. He didn't mention the project yet."

Then, as if on cue, Mr. Pabbie said, "Now, you all must be wondering about the project I've assigned. Your focus will be on the Middle Ages. It will be a group project." A small smile crept along Mr. Pabbie's features, and he glanced over at Jack, who was smirking like had had won a prize or something. "Jack, since you were the first to ask me on the project, you can choose the teams."

Jack smirked, and Elsa resisted the urge to groan. Why, oh why?

Hans smiled. "I hope he picks us together," he said softly. "And I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk with me later—"

"Hans!" Jack called. "You're with Naveen, Charm, and"—Jack smirked—"Pitch."

Hans closed his eyes tightly. "Ugh..."

"What?" Elsa whispered.

"I can't _stand_ Pitch," Hans muttered. "Sorry, I have to go join my group."

Elsa watched with undisguised amusement as Hans sat next to his new group. Jack continued calling the rest of teams out. Then, when he was done, he took a seat next to Elsa, smirking in the way he did when he felt very pleased with himself. Elsa caught Hans staring over at her wistfully. She gave him a small _what can do you?_ sort of shrug.

"Wow, he _really_ likes you."

Elsa spun around towards Jack. "That doesn't mean you have to keep interrupting us!" she said hotly. Elsa wasn't entirely sure what brought her to say all of that. In truth, she didn't mind. Hans was a sweet guy, but whatever attractions there were firmly _one-sided._ But that didn't exactly explain why Jack seemed to _purposely_ make it so that he and Elsa only worked with each other—or the fact that he immediately chose Hans in a group of that Hans didn't exactly enjoy.

If Elsa didn't know any better, she would've said that Jack was _jealous._

But he was Jackson Overland, and he didn't _get_ jealous.

"You think I'm interrupting you on _purpose?"_ Jack said, looking deeply offended at the thought.

Elsa remained silent, giving him a stare that spoke legions.

"Fine." Jack rolled his frost-colored eyes. "You can't prove a thing."

A slight frown crossed Elsa's features as she broke down his words. That meant that there was something to prove, at least, _Jack_ thought so. Of course Jack was interrupting Elsa and Hans on purpose—because why was he always there when Elsa was with him? (there were coincidences, and there were straight up facts)—but the question remained: _why?_ Which led back to the jealous theory, but again, Jack didn't _get_ jealous. He just didn't seem capable of the emotion. And even if he was, Elsa doubted that Jack would be jealous of _Hans,_ of all people.

Jack didn't...he didn't _like_ Elsa, did he?

"Hey, Elsa?" Jack tapped her shoulder, which caused shivers racing down Elsa's spine. "You went AWOL on me for a second."

"Oh...um, I just..." Elsa shrugged. "I was thinking about that math exam we have coming up."

Jack rolled his eyes and stared directly into Elsa's eyes. "Come off of it, Elsa. Do I look like Tiana to you? I mean, for one thing, Tiana's a girl, and for another, my eyes are _way_ —"

"Your point being?" Elsa interrupted tightly. She didn't want to hear Jack glow on about how awesome his eyes were.

 _"My point is_ I'm not Tiana," Jack said, "and though that lie may work on her, it won't work on _me."_ His eyes were dead serious. "Come on. Tell me: what's up?"

Elsa knew that she just dissed Jack's ways of complimenting his own eyes in her head, but there sincerity and earnestness in his eyes were palpable. Jack might be a joker most of the time, but when he was genuine—like this—he was dead genuine. There was no doubting the look in his eyes. Elsa hadn't seen this look in Jack's eyes for a while. Her throat went dry.

He cared about her. He cared about her a _lot._

 _Does he have feelings for me?_ Elsa wrinkled her nose at the thought, trying to quell all feelings of hope in her chest. And why the heck was she even hoping? _No, this is **Jackson Overland** we're talking about. But...he has no real reason to care so much about me? _And it was true. Jack didn't seem to care all that much about his flings, and though Elsa wasn't quite his fling...there was still no real reason for him to care so much.

But Jack was smirking now. He crossed his arms. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll guess it myself: you were thinking about the other night, weren't you?"

Elsa was positively sure that her heart stopped beating then. _Why? Had he been thinking about it, too?_

Elsa tried to play off as nonchalant, as if she felt indifferent about the matter. "Maybe a few times. Are you saying it hasn't crossed yours?" Elsa wasn't sure why she felt as if she'd be completely destroyed if he said 'no.'

"Once or twice," Jack said, shrugging. "I actually wanted to talk to you about it. Just don't...don't let...whatever that moment was—don't let it change anything between you and me, alright? I swear, it didn't mean anything."

Elsa took a moment, trying to comprehend his words. It came out in clusters to her.

 _"Once or twice..."_ So he _had_ thought about it, too. Elsa wasn't the only one.

 _"I actually wanted to talk to you about it..."_ Maybe it had bothered Jack, too. Maybe that was why he took so long to approach her and get this conversation over with. And maybe he had even rehearsed it in his head, said the words aloud to get a familiar feel of them, because that was such a _Jack_ thing to do of him. So perhaps it didn't only bother _her._

 _"Just don't let...whatever that moment was..."_ That was when Elsa's heartbeat had starting to slow a little. How could he speak so nonchalantly about their _moment?_ Yes, Jack could play off as indifferent as he wanted, but...was that all it was to him? 'Whatever that moment was.' That wasn't much a title, certainly not a high one at that. Or did he mean that he wasn't sure what it was? But the tone of his words didn't sound that way... _  
_

 _"You and me..."_ You and me, he had said. Why did that feel so off? Not 'us.' Not together.

 _"I swear, it didn't mean anything."_ And _that_ was when Elsa's heart _shattered._

Because that was when she realized that, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she had developed feelings for Jack.

The earnestness in Jack's eyes hadn't melted away, neither had the sincerity, the raw _realness_ of it. He meant every last word. And when he looked at her, Elsa recognized compassion. Did Jack realize this? He thought he was...did he think he was doing her a _favor?_ Little did he know, his words hurt more than a battle wound or a failed test could ever ache.

When had she given him the ability to make her feel so...so distraught? So agonized? So...so _heartbroken?_

 _Pretend you're fine,_ a stern voice inside Elsa's head told her. _Act like the other night meant nothing to you. Prove to him that you're okay._

Elsa didn't want to listen to that voice, but...what else could she do? Admit that she had feelings when he would just so obviously rebuff her? No, she could keep her dignity. And she didn't want to see his eyes wallow up with pity for her, because he didn't feel the same way. No. This wasn't how it worked. This wasn't supposed to happen. But what else could she _do?_

 _"Don't let...whatever that moment was—don't let it change anything between you and me, alright?"_

Fine.

She could play the role of a nonchalant person. She had that title nailed.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Elsa said, throwing some disdain in her voice for good measure. She hadn't expected her voice to sound so...indifferent. So bored. So nonchalant. Inside her head, she knew she should've been doing a victory dance, but inside, she felt sick to her core. How could she even _pretend_ things were okay anymore? Truly, it was a miracle.

But she had taken Jack by surprise. But that emotion only masked his face for a heartbeat before he turned indifferent anymore. A casual grin was on his features now. "Mmm. Anyway, I was thinking that we work on the project later. I mean, this class is almost over, so there's no point in starting it in here anyway. I mean, if you're free."

"Sounds good," Elsa told him. The bell rang, and she cleared her throat. "No, wait, I can't."

Jack shot her an inquiring look. "Really? Never pegged you as a procrastinator."

"I'm hanging out with Hans later," Elsa told him.

An emotion flew through Jack's frost-colored eyes, too quickly for Elsa to identify. "Cool," Jack said, voice surprisingly light. "I'll see you around then."

Elsa nodded at him as he headed off towards his friends. A feeling of triumph soared through her chest as she headed towards her next class, _Preparation for Contretemps,_ a fancy word for _Physical Education._ The class was taught by Mr. North, a strict teacher that a lot of the students, including Elsa, were slightly scared of. As Elsa saw Jack walk past her, she couldn't help but think, _Take that._ He had all but rebuffed her, and she had played the perfect role of nonchalance.

But as soon as it had come, the triumph faded, replaced by a sinking feeling. Because finally, after days—maybe more—of denial, Elsa had to admit that she had feelings for Jack Overland. And why had she been forced to accept this? Because Jack didn't feel the same way.

 _It's his loss,_ Elsa thought furiously, grinding her teeth. _Besides, Hans would've been thrilled. It's **Jack's** loss, not mine._

So why did the aching feeling in Elsa's chest tell her that she had lost something?

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Elsa hurried off to the gym. She quickly changed into her uniform and headed off into the field. Mr. North was barking out orders on basically to just walk the track for the entire period. No problem. This was nice of Mr. North, but unfortunately, it would only keep one part of Elsa occupied—her body. God, why today of all days?

"Oh! Hey, Elsa!"

Elsa whirled around, surprised to see Hans. "Oh! Hans." She wrinkled her nose. "You aren't in this class, are you?"

"Remember how my schedule switched up?" he inquired brightly, and she nodded. "Well, turns out that I have PE for second period, too!"

She grinned. "Hey, about that walk—can I take you up on it right now?"

A grin burst out on Hans' face. "Okay. Let me just talk to Mr. North for a second, and then we'll be on our way."

"Sounds good," Elsa murmured softly. She watched him leave, and something lodged itself in her chest. Through her peripheral vision, Elsa saw Jack stretching. She thought that he was looking at her, but Elsa didn't dare turn her head to check for fear of betraying her emotions. It was vital for her to keep up this nonchalant act, especially since _Jack_ obviously didn't care.

As Elsa made her way to the track, she tried to justify her reasons for taking up Hans' offer of a walk. For one, it didn't seem fair to leave him hanging. For another, she wasn't really close to anyone. Another, Rapunzel was nowhere in sight (though the girl was usually late a few minutes). And besides, this was just mere coincidence, right? Besides, Rapunzel would see right through her and know that something was wrong. Hans was simply the easiest option.

It wasn't like Elsa was manipulating Hans' apparent crush on her to distract herself from Jack, or to prove a point to Jack. Not at all.

Elsa breathed out sharply. _God, I **am**_ _a terrible person._

The truth was that Elsa didn't deserve a guy like Hans.

Suddenly, Hans approached her. "Hey, Elsa." His smile was cheerful. "You ready?"

Elsa hesitated for a heartbeat. She needed to tell him that she knew about his crush and was just leading him on, she needed to tell him that she was using him. It just wasn't fair to him. But in that same heartbeat, Elsa saw Jack watching her, gaze steely. Forcing back her emotions, Elsa offered Hans a small smile. "Uh huh, let's go," Elsa said, smile growing. "How many laps do you think we'll do?" she half-joked.

Hans grinned. "Only one way to find out, right?" He gestured. "After you."

And as Elsa brushed past him to lead, she couldn't help the slightest of smirks grace her features as she felt Jack's gaze burn into her back.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack couldn't believe his eyes. Elsa had actually left. With _Hans,_ of all people.

 _Does that bother you?_ Jack's self-conscience inquired. _I mean, if you don't have feelings for her_ —

 _Shut up._

Elsa didn't even like Hans. Jack knew it. He could read her body language. She thought he was nice, but there was absolutely _zero_ romantic attraction between the two. Elsa was just too nice for her own good to decline Hans' attempts at asking her out and stuff. But still, one date didn't mean that Elsa changed her mind or anything for that...that _sub-par_ guy. But why did she leave with _him?_ Did their conversation from the other night already drop from her mind? He had _specifically_ told her, _"You know, if you ever need anything to talk about...for anything...I'll always be here."_

What happened to that?!

Okay, okay, so maybe his conversation with Elsa in history had affected her more than he would've anticipated—but that still didn't explain her choice to willingly—yes, he said _willingly_ —go to Hans (though, really, he had approached her first, so...) and ask him for a _walk._ Why didn't she go with Rapunzel? Yes, Rapunzel was usually late, but Elsa would've waited! Why didn't she just walk _alone?_ Elsa was fine with being alone.

 _Why did she ask **Hans?**_

Oh, this was going to bother him.

Did Jack read Elsa wrong? Was it possible that she actually had _feelings_ for Hans? After all, Elsa had never had a crush on...well, _anyone,_ so Jack didn't have any evidence to base off this whole Hans thing on. Was it possible...that he had read her _wrong?_

No. Of course not. He was never wrong. And Elsa would _never_ be interested in a guy as drab and plain as Hans. Nuh-uh.

 _'Drab and plain'?_ his conscience remarked. _He's respectful and polite. He's honestly the nicest guy ever. Loyal, smart, and he doesn't play around with a girl's feelings. He sounds exactly like the type of guy Elsa would fall for._

 _You know it's annoying how you put things into perspective?_

But, as much as Jack hated to admit that his conscience was correct, it made a good point. To Elsa, Hans must've been everything she had ever wanted and more. Someone who would never dream of defying their superiors, someone who was always nice to everyone, someone who had such an intense sense of loyalty and took classes seriously. Someone who didn't have a record of breaking hearts.

Jack flinched as it hit him. He and Hans were polar opposites. And Elsa was leaning hard towards Hans.

 _Not that I care,_ Jack thought hastily. _Elsa can go after whatever guy she wants._

...

...

...

 _WHY THE HELL DID SHE ASK HANS?_

Damn, this was going to bother him.

"So Elsa's moved on to another guy another?" Jack glanced over at Naveen, who bore a bright smirk. "And here we all thought you guys were soulmates. A terrible shame."

"Me and Elsa?" Jack scoffed, crossing his arms. "As if!"

Naveen raised a brow. "What about that 'moment' you guys had last night?"

Reminder to self: don't ever tell your friends anything.

Jack shrugged, struggling to maintain his _I don't care_ facade. "Didn't mean a thing," he said nonchalantly.

Naveen narrowed his eyes. "Do I look like Elsa to you?" he demanded. "I mean, for one, I'm a guy, and she's a girl. And for another—"

"—you were _eavesdropping_ on our conversation?" Jack demanded, pissed off.

Naveen scoffed. "You literally had it _right next to me._ It wasn't my fault!" Then, his gaze softened with understanding. Jack scowled at Naveen. He didn't know what he was talking about. "Look, I understand if you don't want to take a girlfriend yet, instead of just continuing the 'fling cycle.' But you can't keep denying it, Jack. Admit it: you have feelings for Elsa."

"I don't—" Jack started, irritated.

"—that's a bunch of crap, and you know it, Jack," Naveen remarked.

 _I agree with Naveen._

 _Again, shut up._

"You don't know what you're talking about," Jack piped up. "I don't like Elsa in _that way."_

There was just no possible way. ...right? OF COURSE there was no possible way! Psh...

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa had hoped that her walk with Hans would take her mind off of Jack—at least, for a while. But no, thoughts of the handsome guy plagued her mind, and after several more rounds around the track, so did that stupid math exam.

 _I deserve this,_ Elsa thought darkly. _This is what I get for taking advantage of Hans' feelings for me. God, I'm such a horrible person._

And Hans attempts to shake her out of her sullen mood proved fruitless. He had filled the air with all sorts of conversations, attempting to make her smile and laugh, and though Elsa nodded sagely at several intervals, it was clear that her mind was elsewhere. But Hans faithfully continued to prattle about one thing or another, occasionally making jokes that would've been funny if they hadn't reminded her of Jack.

Finally, Hans sighed, visibly frustrated. "Look, Elsa, it's clear that none of this is helping you. You're facing that test next period."

Elsa sighed, feeling resigned. "I suppose you have a point..." she grumbled sullenly. Elsa didn't mention that she was dreading facing _Jack_ more than that stupid exam.

Suddenly, Elsa noticed that Hans sort of inched closer, as if he was about to hug her or something. But he hesitated and drew back at the last moment. Elsa found herself wishing that he didn't change his mind—and not because she wanted _his_ touch. But she just wanted _touch._ She just wanted to bask in someone's comfort—heck, anyone's comfort—at the moment.

Hans took a deep breath. "Class is almost over. Do you want to get some water?"

Elsa simply nodded in agreement. Because what else could she say?

 **Behind Her Smile**

Since Jack was such a valued person in the community of Rosethorn Academy, his, ahem, superiors had given him the most gracious privilege of welcoming in a new student to the school.

...or maybe it was because he got in trouble for throwing that rager the other day, which _totally_ wasn't his fault. Stupid bitter ex-fling for ratting him out.

It could've also been because the student came in during second period, and Jack was already so _excellent_ at PE that they had thought long and hard about it and decided to give him this break. Yeah, it _had_ to be this latter choice.

And who had the honor of spending ten minutes with Jack Overland? Why, none other than some kid from Switzerland (or, that's what Jack assumed because he wasn't listening to whatever Fairy Godmother had said about this guy). The guy's name was Kristoff, and he was actually decent looking. Blonde hair, firm build, tall, fair-skinned, a nice sprinkling of freckles.

No, it wasn't _that_ that set Jack off. It was, um, Kristoff's _eyes._

Looking at Kristoff, Jack had to squint a little, as if Kristoff was blurry or something. It took him a while to realize that Kristoff's eyes were indeed a warm light brown—but there was a milky cloak in front of the eyes, like some sort of strange misty veil that you only see in those creepy movies about zombies and monsters and stuff. Basically the stuff about nightmares.

And why? Why were his eyes like this?

Oh, well, because, um, Kristoff was blind.

And Jack was stuck with him.

"Well, this is your room," Jack drawled as they arrived at said room. Kristoff fixed him with a stare, something that felt so strange because, you know, Kristoff was blind and all. But Jack still felt as if this enhanced the creepy eye staring thing Kristoff did. And it seemed as if Kristoff could see, like, his movements were precise. "As you can see—um, forget I said that." After Kristoff's continued staring, Jack huffed, "How are you doing that?"

Kristoff's lips parted. "What?"

"That—that _staring_ thing."

A thin smile parted the newcomer's lips. "It's not like I heard the sound of your voice or anything."

Jack raised a brow. "So, how'd you get blind anyway?"

"Oh," Kristoff deadpanned. "A tragic accident. I fell off a cliff."

"Then how are you alive?" Jack said stupidly. Then, he flushed, recognizing the thick sarcasm in the blind guy's voice. Then, Jack cleared his throat and opened the door, giving Kristoff a slight shove inside. Then, Jack entered after him. "There are these large twin doors that lead to a little balcony a few feet ahead of you," Jack informed. "If the door is jammed, students usually go through the balcony."

"Brilliant," Kristoff muttered, the sarcasm dripping. "I never would've thought of that."

"You're blind so you can't tell, but I want you to know that I'm glaring at you."

Kristoff snorted, apparently unaffected by this new proclamation. Jack's conscience, on the other hand...

 _I can't believe you! You'd sink so low to bully this guy!_

Jack scoffed. _Oh, **please.**_ _He's the rudest person ever._

 _That doesn't change the fact that he's a new student here, and we're supposed to treat all new students with the utmost of respect. Plus...he's **BLIND.**_

"I don't care if he's blind!" Jack snapped furiously. Then, he realized that he had said it _aloud._ Whoops.

Kristoff turned, a look of confusion clouding his already hazy gaze. "You're a strange person. Why did Fairy Godmother choose you to introduce me to the school?"

"Because I'm an awesome person." The _duh_ was implied. "Besides," Jack continued indignantly, "you're one to talk! You're grumpy, impatient, and rude to the extreme! Whose idea was it to get you landed in this school anyway?"

"Oh, it's not like walking inside a bus that gets you here and showing your transfer transcript gets you a spot here."

 _That sarcastic little snot! Can you believe the nerve of this guy?_

 _He can't be any worse than you._

 _Oh, shut up. If you adore him so much, go bother **his** head. _

_Oh, believe me, I **would** if I could. Hell, I would prefer the mind of a serial killer's compared to yours._

 _I don't hate your company at all, either._

 _And you hate the fact that he's sarcastic, eh?_ Jack's conscience sounded bored. _You're a hypocrite, you know that?_

Breathing in sharply, Jack pointed at the bed. Then, he lowered his hand, realizing that Kristoff couldn't exactly see where he was pointing at. Sighing, Jack grabbed Kristoff and planted him onto the bed. "That's your bed," Jack informed. "It's where you sleep and do homework and whatever the hell you want, I guess. If you packed your own sheets, I suppose you could put them in instead."

"That's not obvious at all," Kristoff replied testily.

 _Obviously_ Kristoff wasn't going to make this easy for Jack.

"Now, there's a bathroom in here, too. It's nice and clean and whatever," Jack drawled on, pointing at him, never mind the lucid fact that Kristoff couldn't see him. "It's just that way." Kristoff turned towards him and had a look on his face that either said that he thought Jack was crazy or that he thought Jack was the greatest dictator ever. Psh...must've been the latter.

Kristoff cleared his throat. "Do you have a mental condition?"

 _Do you have a mental condi_ —?

"I—OF COURSE NOT," Jack said, glaring at Kristoff. "How dare you think that?"

"Well, it's not like you don't know that I'm blind and have no idea what direction you're pointing at."

"You said you could hear me!" Jack thundered.

"Yes," Kristoff agreed. "I can hear _you._ I can't hear your movements, especially one as small as pointing as something."

Jack made a face at this because though it was literally painful to admit it...well, Kristoff _did_ have a good point. Of course, Jack wasn't just about to swallow his pride and admit that. That wasn't how he rolled. Instead, Jack merely resisted the urge to smack his face and merely exhaled sharply in his frustration. Instead, he said, "So, Fairy Godmother said your classes start tomorrow...or whenever you get used to this..."

"Oh, I wasn't there _at all_ when she said that."

"And if you'd stop being a sarcastic little snot," Jack continued sharply, aggravation seeping through his entire being, "I'll send someone over to help you. Anyway, why are you here anyway?"

"Because you all but dragged me into this room."

"Not _that,_ dummy. _I meant,_ why did you transfer?"

Kristoff was silent for a moment. "I didn't want to. But after I...lost my sight, my parents didn't want me in a disruptive high school, so they chose this."

"Are you sure they didn't just want to send you away?" Jack pressed.

Kristoff's answer was blunt, if anything. "I don't know."

Jack sensed that that was the most Kristoff was going to give him on that, and though Jack felt a pang of pity for the blind blonde, he couldn't help but itch to get the hell out of there. After all, he had more pressing things to do—like, say, ask Hans for the math homework that he had been to lazy to do and totally _not_ hang out with this guy for another five seconds. He couldn't just babysit Kristoff all day. "Do you still need me?" Jack checked as he strode over to the door.

"I never needed you in the first place."

Jack snorted and muttered, "Well, _see ya."_

Kristoff didn't respond.

Jack couldn't resist a slightly exaggerated eye roll as he exited Kristoff's room. _Well, **he's** going to be a pleasure having around._

Jack contemplated just ditching the rest of PE but decided that if he didn't go, Kristoff would most likely rat him out or something, never mind the fact that Kristoff had no idea what kind of schedule Jack was on. Kristoff just seemed like the type of guy to do something like that. Of course...maybe Jack had been a _little_ insensitive to the fact that everyone must've been super confusing for a blind person who just hopped in a good chunk into the school year, but...it wasn't like Kristoff had made it easier on him or anything.

Jack headed towards the gym and paused when he was directly outside of the locker rooms when he saw Rapunzel. He shifted uncomfortably as he watched the girl take a enormously large gulp from her water bottle as if she was just _dying_ from thirst. The ghost of the memory of their last conversation made his entire being scream _run away,_ but then again, this was Rapunzel, and she probably had no idea what she was talking about anyway.

Jack strode over to her, smirking. "Tired from the run?"

Rapunzel frowned slightly. "I thought you were kicked out of class."

"No, unfortunately," Jack said mournfully. "Just had to show a blind kid his room and stuff. He was so _aggravating."_

"And you're _not?"_ Rapunzel placed a hand on her hip. "God, you were probably the meanest tour guide."

"I was not!"

 _Yes, you were._

"He didn't know how to cooperate with my awesomeness!" Jack said dismissively. "He was probably just jealous of my good looks or something."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "If he's _blind,_ I doubt he'd take your _good looks_ into much consideration."

"God, Rapunzel," Jack said, annoyed, "if you keep making good points, how am I supposed to win an argument?"

"You _don't,"_ Rapunzel said, stressing her vowels. She crossed her arms and gave him a glare. "And stop acting all high and mighty and stuff. You know, you're not the only one with problems. I've got at least two tests today, and no one—much less someone like _you_ —is going to stop me or complicate the situation further than it has already been _complicated,_ capisci?"

"What do you mean _someone like **me?** " _Jack cried out incredulously.

"Someone who is incapable of thinking further than their own self," Rapunzel retorted, matter-of-fact.

"I _am too_ capable of thinking further than myself!"

"Oh yeah?" Rapunzel scoffed. "It's no wonder your crummy ex ratted you out for that rager."

"She wasn't my ex!"

"Figures. You aren't _that_ lucky."

"HEY! What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

 **Behind Her Smile**

"You know, I bet Jack will try to get me to do his homework again," Hans grumbled as the locker rooms came in view. "He tries to get me to do it whenever he sees me."

Elsa frowned. Last she had heard, she thought that Hans and Jack were on pretty good terms. Well, maybe not anymore. Not that it was any of her business. With a sinking feeling, Elsa saw Jack chatting with Rapunzel, a water bottle in his hand. It wasn't the fact that he was talking to Rapunzel that bothered her—it was more of the fact that he was _there._ Elsa sighed and murmured, "You don't really like him, do you?"

Hans wrinkled his nose and then shrugged. "Well...I respect his abilities in athletics and passion to serve Mr. North, but as a person, I can't really say. I mean, I don't care how skilled you are, what rank you have in this school, or how many girls worship you—no one, Jack included, has the right to treat people with such blatant disrespect! He acts like he's so high and mighty."

Elsa swallowed. "Yeah..."

Hans looked disgusted. "Everyone thinks that Jack is so amazing, and when I first met him, yeah, I thought that he was great. But everyone's true colors come out, and I just... I mean, either you roll with his crowd, or you don't, and he can make anybody's life a living hell if he chooses to. I guess I never had the nerve to..." He sighed, breaking off his words. "Everyone just worships the ground he walks on, even some of the teachers. And even with the ones who know that he's arrogant and rude and brash—well...they either justify those with his other actions or just turn a blind eye towards them. And frankly, that's not even fair!"

Elsa agreed, too. She agreed that no one should behave in such a fashion and still have someone excuse his actions. And if Elsa had this conversation with Hans earlier, she would've exclaimed in joy because _someone finally understood!_

But now...everything had changed. Even though Elsa still believed in it, there was no fire behind it. She would still want to make excuses for him. Because in all honesty, it wasn't like Jack was just blatantly _going_ to girls (well, at least, he didn't exactly pry with girls who seemed to have no interest in him). They threw themselves at him, he simply caught them.

Months ago, Elsa would've agreed with every last word that Hans had spoken, but now, she was acting exactly like those clusters of girls that stared at Jack with starry eyes and hopeful hearts—those girls that Elsa didn't know whether to feel pity or revulsion or both for. And why? Because Elsa had done the _one thing_ that she had passionately believed she would never do: she had fallen for Jack Overland.

"I think," Hans continued, voice softer than usual, "that's why I like you so much." This startled Elsa. Hans didn't seem like a much of a feelings person to her. To put himself out there was incredible bold. Elsa's stomach roiled with guilt and something else. When Hans spoke again, he met her gaze. "Because it feels like you see it the same way I do. You _understand."_

Elsa wasn't so sure she did anymore.

 **Behind Her Smile**

The very moment that Elsa and Hans had approached the locker rooms, Jack's face burst out into a grin, and his voice rang out boldly: "Hans! _Just_ the guy I was looking for! Now, about my math homework..."

Hans shot Elsa a look that basically screamed _I told you so,_ and Elsa shrugged in a way she hoped conveyed _what can you do about it?_ Elsa took her water bottle and couldn't help but catch the frustrated glint in Hans' light green eyes as Jack tried to sweet talk his way. Usually, where Elsa thought she might feel disgust, now, all she felt was sick. It wasn't much of an improvement. She actually preferred disgust.

"Hey, Elsa."

Elsa turned and gave Rapunzel a weak smile. "Hey." Her brow furrowed. "I saw you talking to Jack. You looked kind of...frustrated."

Rapunzel's gaze flashed with something for a moment, and she shrugged, evidently indifferent...unless she was just trying to _appear_ nonchalant while the _real_ feelings bubbled dark inside. And while Elsa couldn't quite catch the entirety, she caught definite annoyance in Rapunzel's eyes. "Oh, it's nothing," Rapunzel said. "Just Jack being...well, Jack, I guess." Rapunzel gave off a slight laugh that felt the slightest bit _off._ It made Elsa's skin crawl slightly.

"Yeah..." Elsa murmured.

"Excuse me for a second," Rapunzel said, much to Elsa's dismay. Jack had evidently gotten Hans to give him the homework, and Elsa just caught Hans' tall figure disappearing through the twin doors of the locker rooms. And, apparently, Jack was still in a talkative mood. He glanced over briefly before his gaze settled on her. He walked over and smirked at her.

"You shouldn't have done that," Elsa snapped, left with an irritated feeling.

Jack smirked. "Why? Did the _prestigious student_ need a break?" There was a taunt in his words.

Elsa locked eyes with him briefly and made her tone as nice as possible. However, when she spoke, she detected the slight chill in the air that followed. "Everyone needs a break every now and then," Elsa said, forcing her face to lie flat.

"Well, there's plenty of time for that during the weekends," Jack said, obviously wanting to rile her up.

Elsa's lip curled, very slightly, and she wondered, not for the first time, how on earth had she fallen for _this_ guy, of all people. He was the most obnoxious, most self-conceited, most egotistical—

Elsa relaxed her face and tried to read Jack's. If there was anything he was a master at, it was concealing his true feelings. _No,_ Elsa thought as she looked at his eyes briefly. _His eyes don't lie._ At least there was that. And while Jack's eyes might not lie, there was a definite layer of something else that shielded his true intentions. It was, to be frank, like looking into a stone mask.

"You know, the academy just got a new student—like, right there, in the middle of the year!" Jack shook his head darkly. "And guess who had the absolute _honor_ of helping him get settled in?"

"I'm guessing you by your nasty tone," Elsa said dryly.

 _"Me!_ That's who!" Jack exclaimed, continuing on as if she hadn't spoken.

"Poor you."

"He's very annoying," Jack blundered on. "I mean, I thought a blind guy wouldn't have much trouble listening to orders, but—"

"—wait." Elsa raised a brow. "He's _blind?"_

"Yeah," Jack snorted. "Kristoff. What a ridiculous name. Anyway, for a blind person, I thought he'd be used to following people's instructions and all, but it's like he only knows how to have conversations in complete sarcasm!"

 _Only knows how to have conversations in complete sarc_ —

"Jack!" Elsa snapped, exasperated. "You do the exact same thing!"

Jack's head snapped up, and he stared, incredulity sparkling in his vivid visionaries. "I do not!" he argued.

 _"Yes,_ you _do,"_ Elsa continued. "Why, the other day, I heard you talking to Mr. Pabbie in the most _sardonic_ tone ever!"

"That hardly means anything!" Jack exclaimed. "I was pissed at the grade I got!"

"So I guess that means you get bad grades a lot?"

Jack rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in the way he did when he was really frustrated. "Don't twist my words." Then, he frowned. "You've got that math exam today, right?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Elsa huffed.

"You should really just take a breather, maybe just take a break for five minutes. I mean, you're really smart, and you shouldn't stress this too much."

Elsa couldn't keep an indignant look off her face, never mind how good she could be at concealing her true thoughts. "Don't worry about _me,"_ she snapped. "I'm absolutely perf—" Elsa's words fell short as she noticed the look in Jack's eyes. His eyes were warm and kind and soft, and Elsa forced herself to swallow back her emotions. He could've so easily been mistaken for a concerned boyfriend, with that soft look and the way he murmured the suggestion for her to take a break.

Elsa pressed her lips together and sighed softly. "You're right. Thanks...Jack."

He stared in mock-amazement. "Wait—did you just...did you just _agree_ with me?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. Old sarcastic Jack was back, no mistake. His concern was now washed away from his usual flippant words.

Oh well...it had been nice while it lasted.

 **Behind Her Smile**

All things considered, Elsa thought she did pretty well on that math exam, all things meaning _Jack Why-Can't-He-Just-Transfer-Out-Of-Here Overland._ Elsa had only gotten confused on a few questions, and she had taken too long on one or two, but she thought that she did pretty well for someone who didn't have weeks to prep for the exam or anything.

But...as a downside, now that she had the exam out of the way, her brain was forced to leave the _rest_ of the space that was previously there to be stressed about the exam for the _other_ thing she had been stressing about.

It honestly wasn't fair. The universe had a twisted way of humor.

Elsa was currently in the library for lunch time. She honestly wasn't hungry after that test, though some people might be ravenous after one, and the mere thought of choking something down made her feel sick to her stomach. So instead, she was sitting on the ground of the library, leaning against a large bookcase. It was a pretty secluded area, which she prided herself on for choosing, and with the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the window, Elsa couldn't help but feel the slightest bit drowsy. There was a book in her hands, but she wasn't exactly reading it, or trying to. The mere bliss of the sunlight and the quiet area made her feel like—

"Hey, Elsa!"

 _Universe, if you're listening to this, you have really crappy way of showing your gratitude. I really shouldn't have wasted all those volunteer hours cleaning debris from the ocean._

"Jack," Elsa said through stiff lips. "What're you doing here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he said, taking a seat by her. "You look tired. What's up?"

Furious at the interruption, Elsa snapped, "I just took my math exam, and I'm exhausted. Now leave me alone. I want to sleep."

"In a library?" Jack raised a brow. "People come to the library."

Elsa scowled. "No one was coming in here until _you_ showed up. Now go away. I wanted to nap."

"Good idea," Jack agreed cheerfully. Then, he snuggled up by her and closed his eyes, stretching leisurely before curling up. A yawn split his lips, and a soft smirk curled onto his lips. Elsa's eyes widened with surprise, but at the same time, her rage was turning up its ugly head. She shoved him, but Jack remained put, obviously trying to get a rise out of here.

"Jack, _move,"_ Elsa snapped.

"But it's warm and comfortable here," Jack murmured, eyes still shut closed.

"I was here _first!_ Do you just want me to pack up and move?"

Jack opened one eye. "If you want...or, you could just stay here and sleep, too." Jack opened both his eyes, revealing a stunning frosty blue, and he was obviously pleased at Elsa's absolute shock. "I mean, I'm pretty tired from being my awesome self, and dear lord, I could use a nap, too." A smirk graced his lips. "Of course, _I_ don't have a problem cuddling with you."

"I am _not_ cuddling with _you,"_ Elsa growled.

Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself." Then, he closed his eyes.

"Jack, _move!"_ Elsa demanded, grinding her teeth furiously, but Jack didn't even flinch. His chest began to rise and fall slowly, as if he was actually asleep, but Elsa knew better. He was just faking it. Besides, _no one_ could fall asleep _that_ quickly! He was just trying to get a rise out of her! But no, she wouldn't _let him._ Not stupid Jack Overland. She was better this.

Elsa tried to move, but the drowsy part of her adored the sunlight that warmed her up. _But just how desperate am I for a nap?_ she wondered desperately. _Desperate enough to take a nap with Jack...doing whatever he is like this?_

That was pretty desperate.

Maybe...maybe if they hadn't talked that morning in history. Maybe if he hadn't dismissed the other night as nothing. Maybe if...maybe if she hadn't developed feelings for him.

Then, Elsa sighed and didn't move. Instead, she pressed herself as far away from him as she could possibly go. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but Elsa happily noted that it gave her more personal space and more of the sun's warmth. She could deal with that. And eventually, Jack would probably get bored and just leave her in peace.

So imagine her surprise when Jack curled his arms around her. His arms were warm and comforting, and his head rested against her shoulder.

Elsa's heart was beating so fast in her chest that she thought it might explode. "W-w-what're you doing?" she breathed.

Jack didn't answer the question directly. Instead, a warm laugh echoed from his lips. His eyes remained closed. "I always knew you had feelings for me."

Elsa was sure that her heart had stopped beating altogether.

A tense silence filled the room, and then, after a billion years, Jack laughed again, this time his laugh filled with humor. "I'm just kidding, Elsa! God, you're stiff with rage!"

Elsa finally breathed again. _He was just joking. He doesn't know..._

"I mean, it wouldn't be a surprise if you did," Jack continued, his warm breath tickling her neck. "I mean, I _am_ sort of perfect."

Elsa was trembling from relief. Her laughter was weak. "You're an idiot."

"A _perfect_ idiot."

Elsa closed her eyes slightly, a faint smile gracing her lips. Just when she was about to drift off to sleep, she felt Jack rubbing gentle circles on her back. She froze. "Why can't you just leave me to sleep?" she demanded.

"Sorry, you're just too irresistible." Then, there was another bout of that warm laughter. "Just kidding! You're just so stiff, I'm helping you relax! _You're welcome!"_

"Didn't ask you to help," Elsa muttered.

She closed her eyes, a warm feeling of content spiraling through her as her mind replayed the memory of his laughter. He seemed to be laughing a lot lately. A small smile rose to her lips as she briefly toyed with the idea as to _why_ he might be laughing so much lately. She promptly dismissed those ideas as her drowsiness increased, and the warmth of the sun grew, if possible, even warmer.

Then, everything faded away into a beautiful dream-like haze...

 **Behind Her Smile**

Dreams were hard to describe. Some could be vivid and collected, some could be askew with waterfalls of blurry images and forsaken emotions.

Sometimes, they were like waves and currents, crashing over you, and then, everything would be still, quiet. Then, the riptide would come in, ripping you away from the exotic sense of tranquility. Actually, the ocean could be like dreams. For one, you never knew where they could take you. And as for another, they came and went, sometimes memorable, but still leaving you with the strangest feeling—not quite puzzlement, not quite knowingness. Some were easier to read than others, some were smothering to the point of vise-like fingers cutting off your air.

Personally, for Elsa, her dreams were often as drifting and changing as the clouds in the sky. It was hard for her to grasp one, much less interpret its meaning. This dream was very simple. A pair of deep-set light green eyes followed her, and then, they transformed into a steadily pale blue hue, just like that. It was hard to comprehend at first, but Elsa found that she had no reason to understand it—after all, it was all just a dream, right? It didn't mean anything.

But it got worse.

The eyes changed, still deeply recessive and very familiar, but it was the familiar that was shocking, that was so infiltrating that it was scary. Yes, things were scary because you didn't understand them, but they were even more terrifying when you actually _understood_ why you had a reason to be so terrified. To say that you were terrified, even if it was just in your head, was to _accept_ that you were terrified.

And why was she so terrified?

Well, because she was seeing her parents. And even though she knew it was just a dream, she never felt so terrified in her entire life.

Then, the image was gone, replaced by a stunning set of eyes. They wrapped around Elsa, and she felt so _safe._

And the eye color? A piercing frosty blue.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Jack always preferred it when Elsa was asleep—or knocked out. The point remained: unconscious. He preferred this even _before_ they became friends and stuff, but the reason for this was completely different now. Before, it had been because he always knew that when someone was sleeping, they couldn't be crap to you, and since he had hated her back then, he thought that an unconscious Elsa would bother him the _least._ But now...now, it was because she was so beautiful.

Beautiful and peaceful and just...innocent. Despite his promises of sleeping to her, he couldn't bring himself to. His hands were still rubbing gentle circles on her back, and he couldn't risk falling asleep, or she might wake up and miss the touch. There was such a blissful look on her face, but occasionally, a slight frown would cross her lips, and he would almost freeze, but she'd relax.

 _She's really out of it._

Jack watched in awe as he watched Elsa sleep. She must've been _really_ tired. Her lashes cast dim shadows across her pale face, and even if she looked really peaceful, he wasn't sure how a person could sleep so much. Heck, he had even out-napped her! ...okay, okay! He only fell asleep for maybe five minutes, not nearly long enough to miss anything, but still...how long was it possible for someone to sleep?

Jack usually didn't nap during the day—or then he wouldn't be bone-tired enough to sleep at night. And if he wasn't bone-tired, that equaled to a long night of tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position and absolutely failing. Which would only make him angry and frustrated and pissed off in the morning—which meant that he wouldn't be able to be in the right mindset to weasel his way out of not doing his homework.

But...lately, he _had_ been doing his homework. ...he wasn't sure why though.

Jack's gaze landed instinctively on Elsa. She was tucked firmly into his arms, and he didn't want her to feel anything mildly _close_ to discomfort. He just wanted to be able to protect her and make her feel safe and warm and—

 _Elsa, what're you doing to me?_ Jack's brief solace transformed to downright panic. He saw red in his vision, and confusion blurred his eyes. _I shouldn't be feeling this way. When did I allow myself to? I've never felt this way. I've never been in lov_ —

 _What have you done to me?_

 **Behind Her Smile  
**

After everything that had happened during lunch, Jack didn't think that everything would be so...normal.

But here he was, in Mr. Pabbie's drama class, still wondering why the hell he didn't just ditch this school and why the hell he wasn't expelled or something. Mr. Pabbie was in one of his 'overly-dramatic' moods, and as Jack sat in his desk, watching the teacher through dull eyes, he wondered why he signed up for this class again. It wasn't like he liked drama all that much.

 _You just wanted a blow-off class._

 _Good point, conscience. Now shut up, this class is dull enough without your constant commentary._

And perhaps, for once, Jack's conscience remained silent. However, the silence in his head was still killing him—even if the voice was _also_ killing him. The minutes ticked by exaggeratedly slow, especially for Jack, but once the bell finally rang, Jack couldn't help but linger by the door, his frost-colored gaze trained on the girl with the paler-than-platinum hair.

Elsa smiled at him. "Hey, Jack."

By her side, Rapunzel tugged at Elsa's arm. "Come on, we have English!"

Elsa shot Jack a sort of apologetic smile, and though he was slightly disappointed, he couldn't help but feel pleased at the small smile she had given him. The feeling of elation spiraled through him, but as he watched Rapunzel chatter and prattle on about one thing or another, he couldn't help but feel a strange distrusting roiling in his chest. He couldn't help but admit that he was—

 _Stop it,_ Jack told himself firmly. _I have no reason to be jealous of Rapunzel._

 _Because she's with Elsa?_ his conscience remarked slyly. _Face the facts, Jack. You've been running and running, but you've known this, haven't you? It's time for you to own up to the facts. Facts don't lie._

The facts? The _truth?_ Jack wanted to laugh hysterically. He was in too deep, and he had no choice but to accept it...

The fact was, that through this crazy roller-coaster of heartbreaks and friendships and hell on earth called 'school' and every single laugh and cry called _life,_ Jack had fallen in love with Elsa.

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 **QotD: Favorite genre of music?  
**

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 **A/N: Whoo! After a splitting eleven chapters, Jack and Elsa finally admit that they have feelings for each other! Well...they didn't necessarily admit that to _each other,_ but don't worry...we'll get around to that. Probably. Now, about the whole blind Kristoff thing... I swear, I didn't just put him in there for nothing. He's going to have a little role, okay? (Besides being the most sarcastic and impossible person ever...which sounds a bit like Jack...)  
**

 **I actually kind of liked how this chapter turned out. I started writing it, and then boom...it just flowed.**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	12. Feels Like Tonight

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 12 - Feels Like Tonight  
**

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 **"I never felt like this before.** **Just when I leave, I'm back for more.** **Nothing else here seems to matter.** **In these ever-changing days,** **you're the one thing that remains.** **I could stay like this forever." - Excerpt from _Feels Like Tonight,_ Daughtry  
**

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 **A/N: As promised, a chapter for Christmas Eve! I actually loved this chapter, and it honestly took less time than I expected. To be honest, I knew how I wanted to start this chapter when I was halfway done writing the previous chapter. Actually, I legit stopped writing the previous chapter just to write down the beginning of this chapter because the idea was too perfect for me just to let go like that.  
**

 **Also, on a completely unrelated note, I was listening to really sad music while writing this, which was so weird seeing as this chapter isn't really...supposed to be sad. It's actually generally light-hearted, but I was just listening to Taylor Swift's old songs. Mostly her _Red_ and _Speak Now_ albums and stuff. A lot of _Last Kiss_ by Taylor. Okay, I'm done talking now.**

* * *

Okay, so Elsa was in love with him.

It wasn't... _that_ bad, right? At the very least, it didn't seem _that_ impossible! After all, basically practically every other girl had a crush on Jack at some point, so it would be even _weirder_ if she _didn't._ Even the ones that swore they didn't want anything to do with him. And let's be honest right here: Jack was _very cute._ Alabaster hair, frost-colored eyes, a pale sheen for complexion, and the most flamboyant personality ever.

So, in truth, it would've crazier if she _wasn't_ in love with him.

And those who had fancied Jack, who had a crush on him—they moved on from him. They understood that he would never return their self-same affections, and then, they moved on with their lives. They would finish school, get a job, maybe get a boyfriend or girlfriend, and maybe even have kids! Those people were _happy._ And even if their affections weren't targeted at _Jack_ in particular, there were plenty more people like him. But still. Those people moved on and left Jack in the dust. Moreover, they were _happy._

...so why was there a quiet, desperate feeling in Elsa's chest that told her that she'd never be happy with someone that wasn't Jack?

Elsa dismissed the thought promptly, regarding it incredulously. She had been perfectly happy—well, to an extent—before Jack entered her life, so therefore, she would be perfectly fine _without_ him. Her happiness, de facto, was _not_ dependent on him, how ridiculous. But the feeling of knots intensified uncomfortably in Elsa's chest, and she bit her lip, pacing around her room.

Its light colors didn't distract her in the least, and instead of calming her, they felt cloying, something she didn't even think was possible. Breathing sharply, Elsa headed out to her balcony and resumed her pacing there, where the chilled air provided a great distraction. _Of course, I don't need a guy or anything. After all, Rapunzel told me about some of Jack's past flings. Heck, she said one of them went on with her life perfectly fine, like a lone wolf._

 _On the other hand...what if (and that's a big what if here) she never moved on, and **Jack** was the reason she never took on another person?_

God, what if Elsa was doomed?

Elsa stopped pacing immediately, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps. The cold air filled her lungs as she inhaled another breath, and as she took in more feverish gulps of air, she thought she tasted snow or something. Whatever, it helped her clear her head, to a degree. _I'm **not** doomed, I'm just in love. But I'm going to get over it. One of these days, I'll look at him, and I'll be perfectly over my little crush. I'll be perfectly fine with just being **friends.** And moreover, I'll be **happy.**_

The painful gut-wrenching feeling in Elsa's chest contradicted that thought.

 _What am I supposed to do?_ Elsa thundered furiously in her head. _I can't wait around forever. Besides, Jack doesn't even have feelings for me. And if he did, I would **know** if he did. Besides, he all but told me that he didn't see me in that way._

Elsa's eyes squeezed shut as she thought of his painful words. _"Just don't...don't let...whatever that moment was—don't let it change anything between you and me, alright? I swear, it didn't mean anything."_

Suddenly, Elsa's heart felt impossibly heavy in her chest. Because Jack _didn't_ love her, not like that anyway. He might care, but it still wasn't the same... Tears welled up in her eyes, and Elsa stubbornly blinked them away, breathing in and out slowly in an effort to calm herself. Jack was _not_ going to make Elsa cry. He didn't deserve her tears. Elsa was _stronger than this._

At least...she was _supposed_ to be. Suppose. What an awful word.

And it wasn't like Elsa could blame Jack or anything because it wasn't like he'd led her on. While Jack might've led _others_ in the past, during their truce and afterwards, Jack had shown nothing but sincere friendship. They may have had their share of moments, moments that _some people_ might kill for, maybe kill _her_ for, but Jack never meant anything of them. Heck, he probably didn't expect her to read so far into them. Yes, Jack cared about her, that much was obvious. But it wasn't his fault. It was _Elsa's_ fault for...for falling for him.

 _But...some of those moments._ Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to think about them. Some of those moments utterly contradicted the friendship statement. While some gestures—like jokes and teasing, which was such a typical thing for Jack to do—were born out of sheer friendship, some were completely unnecessary. Yesterday, even if Jack planned on taking a nap himself, he didn't _have_ to sleep where she was. He didn't _have_ to lay so close to her, and he didn't _have_ to rub comforting circles onto her back. He _also_ didn't have to kiss her... Those moments were all instigated by _him_ —and it wasn't like he didn't have a choice. He didn't _have_ to.

Was it even remotely possible that Jack had— _NO! Stop thinking about it, Elsa! You're going to hurt yourself!  
_

But Elsa was _already_ hurt. She was hurt and confused and in desperate need for answers that didn't seem to want to come to her. If Jack didn't harbor romantic feelings for her, why had all those moments _happened?_

 _What if you're just getting your hopes up? What if there's a logical explanation behind each one that you're blinded by this...this **crush** to even notice, and you're just getting your hopes up for nothing?_

Then, Elsa's hopes would crash and fall into the ground, like a burning building, and gradually, she would pick up those pieces and put herself back together.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Okay, so Jack was in lo— ...okay, so he had a crush on Elsa.

 _I tried to tell you._

 _Shut up!_

But now that _that_ had been established, there was still one more important question. And it was quite a simple question at that: what was he going to do about it? Was he going to confront Elsa about his feelings, or was he going to leave her to get on with her life? There didn't appear to be a middle ground to this. It was either one or the other. Now, though the question might've been simple, well...the answer? Yeah...not so much.

 _Of course it's simple!_ his conscience snapped in the most _condescending_ tone. _If you like her, you tell her how you feel! That's how it works, stupid!_

 _No,_ Jack thought stubbornly. _It's not that simple. After all...I mean, I've never felt this way before anyway..._ Up until the other night, Jack hadn't even put 'love' in his system of beliefs. Now, lust and infatuation? That was an entirely different matter indeed, as he would know—he was an expert in both categories, and he knew that they were both _real._ And _love?_ True and pure love? ...you know when you're really hoping for something, but you also know it's too good to be true? Yeah, that was how Jack felt about true love.

And then he realized that he liked Elsa, and the pretty girl had to go and ruin everything.

...well, that was, if it wasn't just a higher level of lust and infatuation, if it was actually _love._

 _If I do pursue Elsa, I would have to be faithful, loyal to her. And only her. No more mindless flings, no other girls. Just...Elsa.  
_

The thought...wasn't as horrible as Jack had anticipated. ...actually, it wasn't horrible at all.

Jack swore, his conscience actually _chuckled._ _Oh, Jack. Jack, Jack, Jack... Don't you realize it? No, I suppose you haven't. But these feelings...these feelings for Elsa didn't just come out of nowhere. They've been developing, for quite some time, actually. And besides, there were so many warning signs. For one, you haven't had the desire to maintain your flings since the seed was planted.  
_

Jack raised a brow. _You aren't sure that's just because I went through most of the girls around here? But...what if the desire...I don't know, returns or something? What if, after I make things official with Elsa, I realize I'm not 'boyfriend material'? I mean, this isn't just some random fling. I met her **father.** I can't just dump her! He might regard me less than the wondrous creature I am!  
_

 _I can't believed you're more concerned about your rank than, say, what if Elsa doesn't return your feelings?_

Jack scoffed and almost laughed at the ridiculousness at it all. _Oh please. Don't be ridiculous. **Of course** Elsa has feelings for me. And if she doesn't, it's not like it'll be hard to make her fall for me, anyway. I **am Jack Overland,** after all._

 _Oh, of course! How could I possibly forget? It's not like I live in your head or anything._

 _On the topic of that, I really wish you'd find a new head to live in. Why not Pitch? Or Kristoff? Kristoff's got to have plenty of space!_

 _I don't think you comprehend the point of having a conscience._ His conscience's tone is dismissive. _Besides, we're getting off track: what're you going to do about Elsa?_

Jack frowned slightly. _What indeed?_

He didn't _have_ to do anything. He could just continue his life the way it was. Flings and broken hearts and fun. It wasn't a bad existence to live in. Heck, it was a great one, and he enjoyed it.

But on the other hand...Jack had no desire, no fuel, to do that anymore. Of course, he _was_ Jack Overland, and if he tried hard enough, the desire might return. ...nah, too much work. Or Jack could just make himself miserable by not doing anything. ...yeah, not really digging that one, either. But it wasn't like his very life and soul depended on getting a girlfriend. It was just...he...he wanted Elsa. And there was also the simple fact that if Elsa just walked into the cafeteria one day, fingers intertwined with Hans, bright smile on her face, Jack didn't think he would be able to stop himself from punching the daylights out of Hans.

A long sigh echoed out of Jack's lips. _Well, I guess there's only one real thing to do if I can't handle seeing Elsa with other guys. I need to do something._

 _I need to tell her how I feel._

 **Behind Her Smile  
**

One realization led to another, and soon enough, only one question remained probing in Jack's mind: just _how_ was he supposed to tell Elsa he lo— _liked_ her?

Should he give her a mind-dazzling display? Should he head over to his favorite garden and arrange a bunch of flowers, maybe roses, maybe morning glories, in a circle or a heart, stand in the middle of it all, and send someone—definitely not Flynn—to fetch her? No, no, no. He would be in the great big tree, and when she came in, he would jump down in a perfect arc and perhaps _then_ he would pronounce his declaration of undying love.

... _or,_ should he go ahead and make their status known to the entire school by wiring the PA system and sending a message for everyone to go to the auditorium? Then, he could go up on that stage, because the teachers would be so confused they wouldn't know _what_ to do, and ask her to be his girlfriend in front of everyone _. Or,_ better yet, he could film the entire thing and post it online. _That_ would keep any unwelcome, _sub-par_ guys from chasing after her. _And_ it would prove his love and devotion! Elsa would be absolutely thrilled at the gallant gesture!

But...did he even have to ask her at all? Why not just start behaving like a loving boyfriend? Elsa was a smart girl; she would catch on sooner or later.

 _No, no, and **definitely**_ _not!_ Did his conscience just shudder? God, the _nerve..._ SMH... _Elsa wouldn't want you to make such a big show of things. This is supposed to be special. Why can't you just...I don't know...just tell her you love her?_

Jack raised a brow at the suggestion his conscience had came up with, a look of distaste crossing his features. He wasn't sure whether he was torn between laughing or staring in absolute horror. _Just_ ** _tell her?_** _Is this some sort of sick joke?_ _Are you **trying** to get me rejected? No, my declaration has to absolutely dazzle her! It has to be breath-taking! It has to take her breath away!  
_

His conscience didn't speak up, perhaps agreeing with Jack. ...or he'd just given up trying to convince him.

"Now," Jack pondered aloud, "what would be the best way to arrange those flowers?"

 **Behind Her Smile**

Turns out, flowers seriously aren't that easy to arrange.

Okay, okay, it wasn't exactly the _positioning_ that was the problem. It was the _getting the flowers_ problem. Jack had decided with roses because...well, it was just the most natural thing to do. _But,_ what he _hadn't_ planned on were the many, many, many, many (yes, he said 'many' four times) thorns in the roses. They bit and scratched at him, but hey! What was he supposed to do?! This display had to be _dazzling._

 _Of course,_ he reasoned, _it's not like the beauty of this will ever, in a million years, compare to hers._ Approximately two seconds and eight milliseconds later, Jack actually realized what he had just thought. The sappy smile dried up on his face, replaced by a perpetually dry, slightly confuddled, expression. He resisted the urge to groan. _God, what is **happening** to me?_

 _It's called love, Jack,_ his conscience answered dreamily.

Jack paused, swallowing thickly as he thought about it. _Love._ He was possibly in love, with _Elsa_ out of all girls. How crazy was that! _This is going to take some time to get used to._

Jack returned to his task, resisting the urge to just crush all the roses in his hands and just pull at them like a maniac. He had to make sure they looked nice—and smelled nice, too. So far, all he had managed to accomplish was getting the rosy aroma all over fingers. There were also a picnic basket, filled with yummy sandwiches, cakes, tarts, and—undoubtedly—donuts.

Now, Jack had been trying to arrange the roses in a heart. Well, he had decided with a circle first, but his attempts proved fruitless. He yanked at a rose in frustration, and angry red marks scratched at his flesh, causing him to swear under his breath. He glared at the roses. So far, they looked like a shapeless mass of spikes and red. Sometimes, it was _stupidly_ hard being him.

"Jack? What're you _doing?"_

Jack's eyes widened with horror as the familiar figure materialized. Elsa stared at him as she approached, a look of confusion spreading across her pretty features. She surveyed the scene, and Jack felt quite like a deer in front of tail lights. He gulped uncomfortably, and Elsa gestured towards the roses... Well, they didn't exactly _look_ like roses after all the haggling that Jack had done with them. "What _is_ the mess?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Hey!" Jack cried indignantly, offended. "It's not a mess!" _Or, well, it won't be._ "It's just not finished yet!"

Elsa stared, looking torn between laughing and just staring. "You mean _you_ did this? _Why?"_ Jack opened his mouth, a clever lie on the tip of his tongue, but Elsa shook her head and spoke again, "Never mind, I don't really care." Jack blinked back his emotions, half-offended that Elsa said the words so dismissively. "Anyway, I need to talk to you."

Jack almost smiled, a joke at the tip of his tongue, but the look in Elsa's eyes stopped him. Something was bothering her.

Jack met her gaze seriously. "Sure, what's up?" Inwardly, Jack groaned. _'What's up?' **That's** what you got?_

Elsa bit her lip. "Just...when I told you that my parents might be dead, why didn't you just...I don't know, laugh or something? Why did you actually..? You were...sympathetic." This conversation seemed awfully hard on her.

And to say that Jack was caught off guard was an understatement. "What?"

Elsa scuffed the ground, face written with a mixture of impatience and hesitance. "The first day we met, when I was in the garden—"

"I know what you're talking about. You literally told me about how your parents might be dead, like, once. I _meant:_ why are you asking?"

A look of pure impatience crossed Elsa's features, evidently overriding her hesitance. "I just want to know, okay?"

Jack shot her a hard, frustrated look. She was lying. It was so painfully obvious. Did she used to be this bad a liar? Well, no. And even if she _could_ lie well, Jack would easily, easily guess. What could he say? Born talented. But instead of pointing that fact out, Jack spoke instead, seeing as Elsa was as stubborn a person as he was, and he'd probably get answers easier if he just went along with this. "Because you were being pathetic, and it was annoying," he said, shrugging.

"That's it?" she pressed. "That's the _only_ reason?"

"What do you want me to say?!" Jack demanded, folding his arms across his chest. "I hated you then, remember?"

He hated the way he was speaking to her. Hell, he hated this entire conversation. Something was clearly aggravating her, but she wasn't telling him what. Instead, Elsa was just asking him meaningless questions that literally seemed to just hold a purpose of frustrating him. He wanted to help her, to calm her down, but he didn't know what to say. _'Because I'm in love with you'?_ Was that it?

"Okay, whatever," Elsa said dismissively. "Okay, what about when we had that show to do? Why did you go through so much work to help me get over my stage fright?"

"Because I couldn't very well do the show on my own," Jack reminded her. "Mr. Pabbie practically forced us to work together, and I wasn't going to go risk my grade like that."

Elsa flinched back as if he had hit her. "You—you mean you didn't do it because...you were worried about me?" His voice cracked in the middle of the sentence, but as Jack began to open his mouth to speak, Elsa beat him to it. She shook her head and said, "Fine. When I had to go to my dad's funeral, why did you come and comfort me there?"

"Because your father was literally _right there."_ Jack scoffed. "I couldn't look like a jerk in front of him! I mean, he can look really, really scary when he wants to."

Slowly, Jack watched hurt grace Elsa's stunning features. Her eyes, which were trained solely on the ground, were glistening with unshed tears, and Jack's hands curled into fists in his lucid frustration. Somehow, he was saying all the wrong things to her. But what did she want him to do? _Lie_ and say something overly sweet and sugary like most everyone else would?

"Elsa," Jack said, a pleading, plaintive note in his voice, "what do you want me to say? Tell me, and I'll say it!"

Elsa was still for a moment. Then, she started shaking her head slowly. "Don't fret about it," she breathed in a timid voice. "It doesn't matter anyway." Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "I was wrong..."

Then, Elsa spun around and started stalking out of the garden. Jack stared, dumbfounded, after her for a few moments before his feet reminded him to move. He wasn't going to let her leave him hanging like that! What was with all the questions? And why was she so upset? Jack darted after her and skidded to a halt directly in front of her. "Hey, Elsa!" he exclaimed. "Just tell me! What's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" Elsa all but snarled. Then, she tried to go around him, but he just mimicked her movements, providing her with no escape. Poison filled her tone, but her eyes were still full of hurt. _"Move!"_

"Not until you tell what the hell is going on!" Jack snapped, chest heaving in frustration.

Elsa looked up, and now, Jack could see how fiercely her eyes were glistening, making the blue of her irises that much more startling. Elsa was furious and devastated at the same time, and he had no idea how to make things better for her, but all he knew was that hated seeing her this way, and he wanted to do anything and everything to make her smile again. "Elsa, what—?"

"I thought you liked me!" she finally snapped. "I thought you liked me more than just a close friend, Jack! I thought you—I thought _I..."_ She broke off her words, a whimper rising to her throat. Her eyes, still gleaming with unshed tears, were filled with so much pain and anguish. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and her whole body was trembling.

 _"I thought you liked me..."_ _If she's so upset, that must mean..._ Slowly but surely, a large grin exploded onto Jack's features as he pieced it all together. She liked him.

Well, _of course_ she did because he was amazing, but... _Elsa liked him!_

However, Elsa (blatantly) couldn't see the celebration Jack was throwing inside his head (else she wouldn't still look so hurt and devastated and furious) and misinterpreted his joyous grin for something else. Fury seemed to crowd out some of her hurt, and raw venom filled her voice when she spoke again. "If you're here to mock me, move!" she growled, trying to push past him.

Jack merely sidestepped again, blocking her from leaving the garden. He exclaimed, "I'm not mocking you, Elsa! I lo—" Jack stopped abruptly, his lips frozen. He couldn't get the word out. Did he love Elsa? After all, the word was big on its own—bigger when coming from someone like him, who hardly dared to believed that the emotion even existed. But now, Elsa was staring at him with a beautiful expression of disbelief and hesitant hope. Jack tried to pick off from where he left off. "I do like you! I like you a lot. And more than a close friend. I lo—"

Again, Jack hesitated. Those three magical words were on the tip of his tongue, but still, he hesitated. He just confessed that he did like her, more than a close friend. That was the truth, that was what he was completely and utterly _sure_ of. Did he really need to go on? After all, Elsa didn't even say that she loved him. She merely said she liked him.

But, as it turned out, Elsa didn't need to hear those three words. It was startling how her entire expression transformed. First shock—then full-blown delight. Then, she threw her arms around him, so hard that he nearly fell back. But he regained his balance quick enough. Elsa was shaking slightly, and he realized that she was laughing. Whether it was from pure delight or just the crazed kind of laughter, he couldn't tell. He wrapped his arms around her, a real smile growing onto his features. He closed his eyes as he held her in his arms.

 _I don't have to tell her I love her just yet, right? Why can't I just wait a few days, to be sure? After all, what's the rush?_

 **Behind Her Smile  
**

"Favorite color?"

"We're not playing this game."

"Favorite food?"

"This isn't twenty questions."

Jack pouted. "It's _not,"_ he insisted. "It's _supposed_ to be a bonding exercise," he corrected.

Elsa raised a brow. "Aren't bonding exercises usually for _struggling_ couples?"

 _"Please,"_ Jack begged.

"Fine," Elsa grunted, but she couldn't hide a smile as she watched the look of absolute delight form on Jack's face. With a sort of _what the heck_ kind of shrug, Elsa answered, "Well, my favorite color would probably be..." She scrunched up her nose, thinking about her answer. Sometimes, a question was simple, and yes, this color question probably belonged to that category, but...Elsa was just the type of person to thank five hundred hours on a personal question whilst using five seconds for a math equation. "Well, it changes daily, but today, I guess it would be white."

Jack glanced at her. "White? Why white, out of all colors? It's so..." He wrinkled his nose. _"Bland."_

"Your hair is white," Elsa pointed out, causing Jack to rethink things. "And yours?"

Jack didn't even pretend to think about it. "Blue."

"Why?" Why did she feel like she was going to regret asking that?

"The color of the sky," Jack said promptly. "The color of the ocean." He smirked. "The color of your eyes."

She saw the line coming but still blushed. To cover up her emotions, she rolled her eyes. "I bet you use that line on everyone."

"No, I don't," Jack defended. He smiled sort of sheepishly. "People just don't tend to ask me what my favorite color is." Then, almost as if he sensed her unease, he changed the subject with a bright smile. "Okay, next question," he announced, with such flair that it was impossible for her not to crack a smile He grinned at this. "Favorite season?" He made a face at this. Elsa knew which one he absolutely _loathed._ It wasn't hard to guess.

"Probably fall," Elsa answered, a small smile gracing her lips. "Fall is...beautiful. The leaves turn to red and orange and yellow, not that nasty green stuff."

"That nasty green stuff helps you _breathe."_

"And here I thought you knew nothing about photosynthesis," Elsa laughed. "And I know yours: winter."

He scoffed. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny, Elsa," he said, the sarcasm in his voice thick enough to match hers. "Mine would probably be summer." His smile turned into a smirk. "No school—plus, the beach is wonderful." He relaxed, closing his eyes briefly. "Ah, summer. It's only a bajillion months away." Though his tone was light and flippant, Elsa detected a trace of annoyance there somewhere.

She rolled her eyes. "I bet you're just saying that because summer is literally the opposite of winter."

"Winter literally has _zero purpose!"_ Jack exclaimed indignantly. "It freezes over the crops, and it's so _cold._ God, I _hate_ snow."

Elsa worked to keep a smile off her face. "Yeah, Jack, that's the whole _point_ of winter."

"Stupid point."

She laughed. "Besides, winter is _beautiful."_

She was surprised when Jack didn't make a snappy retort right away. Instead, he held her gaze thrillingly. A soft smile curled onto his lips. "Maybe," he admitted, tone lofty. "But...there are things that are more beautiful." Elsa felt a smile creep onto her face at the cheesiness of the situation—and how romantic it was. Then, Jack added, "If you didn't know what I was talking about, I was talking about you."

"Yeah, I got it," Elsa said, smiling. "I'm just absolutely perfect, aren't I?"

"You're _close._ However, _I_ am absolutely perfect."

Elsa laughed, curling up into his arms. She hummed, the sound reverberating in her throat.

"Of course you are."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Mhm. _Mhm._ Thanks."

"What is it?"

Elsa turned towards Rapunzel. They were currently in Elsa's room, hanging out. "Oh, it's nothing... That was just the..." Elsa gulped. "The hospital." Rapunzel's frown deepened, and Elsa could see the deep concern reflected in her eyes. "It's nothing, really. Dad just has trouble breathing. Something with his lungs and stuff. I'm sure it's nothing," Elsa said, not sure whether she was trying to reassure Rapunzel or herself.

Rapunzel sighed. "Is he okay?"

"He sounded fine," Elsa mumbled. She cleared her throat. "I'm sure it's just nothing."

"Right," Rapunzel said. "Well, I have to go to the library." The girl made a face. "I have to return a book about hummingbirds." Noticing the weird look Elsa sent her way, Rapunzel groaned. "Don't ask." She eased herself off the rug that she had been laying down on and grabbed her school bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Well, I'll see you later, okay?"

Elsa nodded. "See you."

Just as Elsa was about to open her book and start her English essay about reptiles, the door opened, and in came Jack. Elsa groaned, but there was no actual frustration behind the noise. "What does it take for a girl to get some _alone time?"_ Elsa grumbled sullenly, shoving her English to the side. But she stood up and gave Jack a small hug anyway.

"Oh, so you want me to leave?" There was a hint of laughter in Jack's voice.

"Nah, you can help me finish my homework."

Jack's eyes widened in mock-horror. "You? _Procrastinating_ on your _homework?"_

"I was kind of distracted."

"So I'm a distraction?" Jack smirked, laughing again. "But I'll stay anyway despite the shock, since I'm just _such_ an amazing person."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're great. But you'd be even _better_ if you actually _helped_ me finish this essay. How long do you have?"

"As long as I want," Jack said haughtily. "Now, what's this essay about anyway?"

Elsa laughed, Jack's easy-going attitude forcing back some of her dread on her dad's news. As Jack made a silly face at her, Elsa let a smile grace her lips.

 _I'll tell him, just not...yet. Not while I'm so happy._

 **Behind Her Smile**

Ever since Jack had made things official with Elsa, things seemed _brighter._

Well, not _brighter_ —but better. Things seemed to be looking up all around him. He actually got an A on that super duper hard Spanish quiz that he hadn't studied for, which was _awesome._...sort of weird, but hey! He wasn't about to complain or anything. Okay, he and Elsa didn't really _tell_ anyone about their relationship because...well, huh... They had never really discussed it. Besides, Jack always sensed that Elsa didn't like people knowing much about her personal life—and besides, dating _him_ would drastically change that status.

But, as there good things, there were bad things. AKA showing Kristoff around campus.

Thinking about Elsa helped ease his mind, but Kristoff was such an absolute _pain._ He took sarcasm to an entire new level! Because there was snarky, there was sarcastic, and there was Kristoff. And trust him, you didn't want to be a Kristoff.

"So," Jack drawled on, "this is the library, where you find _books_ and _computers_ and stuff like that."

"Oh? I had no idea."

Jack scowled. "Well, I suppose you don't actually _need_ any books, so..."

"Braille?"

"Excuse me?" Jack cocked a brow.

A thin smile rose on Kristoff's lips, which looked impossibly dry, and Kristoff's sightless eyes landed directly on Jack, almost mockingly. A shiver of disgust and slight fascination coursed through Jack as Kristoff stared...without really seeing... Well, you knew what he meant! "Does the library have any books in braille?" the newcomer clarified, his tone as dry as ever.

"I don't know," Jack scoffed. "I don't go to the library often."

"I never would've dreamed of that."

"This _sarcastic crap_ you've got going on is _really annoying,"_ Jack thundered, frustrated.

Kristoff scoffed. "Huh. I wasn't doing that on purpose at all."

"You make me want to pull all my hair out."

"Would be a perfectly good waste of hair."

Jack turned towards the new voice, half-relieved, half-annoyed to see Flynn. Jack's best friend had a broad smile on his face and an amused glint in his eyes. "My savior," Jack breathed, causing Flynn to guffaw in a very mean way and Kristoff to shoot him a quizzical look. "So," Jack started.

"No," Flynn answered, very matter-of-fact. He didn't look earnest. He was even _smiling._

"You didn't even hear the—"

"—no."

"But—"

"—no."

A scowl darkened Jack's features. "Come on!" he protested. "Are you really going to throw me to the wolves?"

Flynn had the _audacity_ to _smirk._ "Yes."

"Some friend _you_ are," Jack said, his words accompanied by a dubious smile. Flynn met his gaze coolly, and with an exaggeratedly long sigh, Jack turned back to Kristoff, whose face was screwed up in concentration—though Jack wasn't sure what the blind kid had to concentrate about. Jack shoved Flynn in the arm and sighed. "Right then, Kris. Can I call you Kris, by the way?"

Kristoff fixed him with a very level stare that made Jack question his sanity. "No."

"Ah, back to one-word answers, are we?" Jack drawled sardonically.

Kristoff had the nerve not to answer at all.

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Well, good luck— _Kristoff._ Jack can be _quite_ unpleasant when he wants to be."

"Hey!"

Flynn raised a brow. "Remember Taco Tuesday?"

"They ran out of tacos! What was I supposed to do? Ask for an empty _shell?"_

Flynn huffed, exasperated. "You didn't have to _steal_ someone else's taco!"

Kristoff cleared his throat, causing both of them to turn towards him—Jack in annoyance and Flynn in perpetual amusement. "Are you going to give me a tour or what?" Kristoff said, folding his arms across his chest. "Because if you can't"—Kristoff shrugged nonchalantly—"it really isn't that big a deal. I'll inform Fairy Godmother if you can't, and I'm sure she'll find me a more suitable tour guide."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's—WAIT, did you just deem me _unsuitable?"_

"Wouldn't be the first time," Flynn snorted.

Grinding his teeth together, Jack shoved his hands into his pockets stubbornly, causing Flynn to roll his eyes again. Jack stuck his tongue out childishly at Flynn, who mimicked the gesture. Jack made a face. Just _how_ did he end up with _this_ doof as a best friend. YEET. "Just _go_ if you aren't going to be useful," Jack said, shoving Flynn roughly towards the door.

"Oh, how you wound me," Flynn said, a mocking smile on his face. But he complied anyway.

Which left Jack alone with Kristoff. Ugh.

"Well," Jack started.

"—are you just going to stand here or what?" Kristoff sounded perpetually impatient.

 _"Fine."_ Jack grabbed Kristoff's arm, steering him towards the direction of the food court. He might as well grab a bite if he was to show _this_ guy around. Kristoff stumbled a few times at the sudden movement, but he recovered all too well (much to Jack's annoyance), and they got to the food court safely. Jack swung open the doors and gave Kristoff a little shove in the right direction. "This is the cafeteria AKA the food court AKA the best place in the entire academy," Jack said cheerfully, mood lightening up at once as he saw a row of deliciously glazed donuts stacked in perfect rows.

Kristoff wrinkled his nose. "What do they serve?"

"I don't know? The usual?" Jack glanced over at the foods. "Well, you should pretty find anything you want or need here."

"Mm," Kristoff muttered distastefully.

Jack ignored the tone of Kristoff's voice and grabbed a donut for himself and then with much reluctance got one for Kristoff. He handed it to Kristoff, who immediately made a face. "Here's a donut," Jack said, chomping off a fourth of his donut. "Chocolate. Good stuff." He polished off his donut, growing increasingly impatient when Kristoff didn't eat his donut.

Finally, after a _billion_ years (note the sarcasm), Kristoff said, "These have gluten, don't they?"

"Well, um, I guess..?" It took Jack several moments—plus the look on Kristoff's face was a dead giveaway—to realize what Kristoff was coming at. "Wait—you don't eat gluten? Right then." He snatched the donut and and grinned happily. "Well, if you ever happen to come across anymore donuts, feel free to give me a call." He finished the donut in three bites.

"Where to next?" Kristoff inquired.

Jack gasped. "Did you just—did you just talk to me like a _normal_ person?"

Silence.

Fine.

"Right," Jack said. "Anyway, I think I'll introduce you to the teachers. I mean, it's pretty useless to show you the classrooms and stuff right now... Unless you're actually faking the fact that you're blind—" Seeing the look on Kristoff's face, Jack hastily backtracked. _"I mean_ —forget I said that, okay? Anyway...right this way to Mr. Pabbie's room... He's, uh, the history teacher."

The blind student appraised him calmly. "So I've heard."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Right then."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"So, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Kristoff stared. "Excuse me?"

"Oh." Jack wrinkled his nose. "Are you gay? Or bisexual? Or pansexual?"

Kristoff took a deep breath, as if he was trying to compose himself. "I don't put labels on myself," he said simply. "And why are you asking me anyway?" he added, tone low and full of distrusting. Jack didn't know why that was there. He was _such_ a reliable person! Kristoff probably either didn't trust him or was probably just weird and stuff. Psh...it _had_ to be the latter option.

"No reason," Jack said breezily. "Just making small talk."

Kristoff looked mildly interested now. "Don't tell me you have a crush on _me."_

Jack nearly choked on his own spit. _"You?"_ He glared. "Don't joke around like that!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes—which was _really_ weird to watch. It sort of creeped Jack out, seeing as Kristoff was blind and such. "Oh, so it's okay for _you_ to mess with my personal life by making a snappy comment every five seconds as if you feel this burning desire to impress everyone, but it's not okay for me to say something rash like that?" Kristoff sniffed. "Hardly seems fair, don't you think?"

"No." Jack stuck out his tongue. "I'm _special."_

"Of course you are," Kristoff said, rolling his eyes again. "Anyway, I would ask if you were involved with someone, but I'm betting your answer would be the entire student body."

Jack scoffed. "For your information—that's just nasty. And, FYI, I actually _do_ have a solid—" Jack stopped abruptly, realizing that he had never really confirmed anything with Elsa. They had confessed their feelings, yes, but he hadn't exactly _asked_ her about it. Jack hastily tried to pick up where he left off, but the words never left his mouth. He was... _speechless._ Ugh. Jack didn't like this.

Kristoff raised a brow. "What? Do you have a secret relationship no one knows about?" he said sarcastically.

Jack stiffened. "I'm very sure I don't know what you're talking about."

Kristoff's eyes widened in surprise. He was quick to hide his surprise, but the trail of astonishment didn't quite leave his voice when he spoke again. "Wait—seriously? You have a secret relationship? With _who?"_ The sound of his tone sounded as if Kristoff was shocked that anyone would want to date him, much less have a secret relationship with him.

"It's...not exactly a secret relationship," Jack muttered.

"Oh. So it's a fling."

"No, it's not a fling!" Jack exclaimed, annoyed. "We just...I just...she just—it's _complicated,_ okay?! Quit grilling me!"

"I'm not," Kristoff countered. "So, who is it?"

"Why the hell would I tell _you?"_ Jack said incredulously.

"Oh, no reason," Kristoff said, shrugging. "But since we're here—and also since you're a sucky tour guide and only showed me literally _one teacher_ —" Kristoff shrugged and stowed his hands into his pockets, gaze tilted downwards in an almost thoughtful way. "Why not? Unless..." Kristoff raised a brow and pressed, "Unless you're, like, ashamed of it or something."

"I'm not ashamed!" Jack exclaimed, deeply offended. "We just—" He glanced away, flushing. "We didn't really talk about it yet."

It was Kristoff's turn to be incredulous. "How do you sort of have something with someone and just _not talk about it?"_

Jack made a face and shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, I want to. I mean, I like her, and she likes me, and I just... We didn't really talk much about the... _status_ of it all. We just hung out after the whole thing blew up, and then, I had to go show you around." He crossed his arms. "Besides..." He frowned now, and his next words were hesitant. "I'm not good at this kind of stuff."

"Huh, but you're not good at a _lot_ of stuff, so at least you're consistent," Kristoff conceded. "So, what're you going to do about it?"

"I don't know!" Jack said, a bit freaked out. "Stop asking me questions about it! It's weird!"

"Mm... But do you even know why the topic didn't come up?" Kristoff pressed.

"I don't know!" Jack thundered. "Elsa's different! She's not like all those other _clingy,_ always turning their faces into damn weird tomato colors people!"

Kristoff smirked. "Oh. So your thing is with some girl named _Elsa."_

Whoops.

Jack blushed crimson, mortified. He wouldn't have minded it so much if it was anyone else—but he should've at least been able to tell Flynn, AKA his _best friend,_ before anyone else found out. "Not a word to _anyone,"_ Jack warned, hands heating up as he curled them into tight fists. The thin scar across his thumb caught the sunlight, and he shivered, remembering the time he burned himself to achieve that scar. Actually, that hand got into a lot of accidents. Split knuckles.

"Why would I want to tell anyone that I talked to you on something that we didn't have to talk about?" Kristoff inquired, the _are you stupid?_ implied.

 _I agree with Kristoff._

 _Shut up._

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as he thought about Elsa. He could hardly believe that he had hated her at one point. There was just something special about her. Jack had a feeling that if Elsa wanted him to get the moon for her (though she would probably _never ever_ ask him for that), he would do with gladly, for her. She was just that special.

"So, this Elsa must be pretty special if she has this sort of effect on you."

Jack stiffened. He spun around at Kristoff, who had a bright smile framed out on his face that made him look _eons_ younger. Did the blind dude have some sort of mind-reading ability he never told Jack about? "What?" he practically screeched.

Kristoff was _grinning._ "I mean, I've never heard you _not_ talk for so long. But please, don't let me stop you from shutting up."

Jack's heart rate slowed down, and he breathed again. He shrugged. "She's incredible, you know? There's no one really like her."

There was a long pause before Kristoff spoke again. "Are you so sure you won't resort to your old ways?" he inquired. "I mean, I've heard the rumors, Jack. You don't commit, you don't care about your flings—honestly, what's so different about her? You probably use the same phrases to charm her as you do others." The skepticism was thick in his voice.

Jack glared, never mind the fact that Kristoff couldn't see that. "Well, _you've_ obviously never been in lov—" Jack hesitated, tongue tripping over the word. There it was again. The l-word.

Kristoff's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?" The surprise matched the skepticism in his voice.

Jack swallowed in sharply. What had he been about to say? That he loved Elsa? But...what was love really? He knew that what he felt around Elsa was different and special and warm and scary and thrilling—but was that _love?_ What? Turmoil crept back into Jack's voice as he spoke again. "I, um," Jack started, but he faltered once more. "Nothing," he mumbled.

"Nothing," Kristoff repeated. Then, as if sensing that Jack wanted to change the topic, he said, "So, where's the best place for some peace and quiet?"

Jack breathed a silent _thank you_ to Kristoff. But as he dragged Kristoff along, his thoughts never wavered from the subject of love.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Mr. Pabbie's class. Not exactly the place for romantic conversations. ...or any conversations, really.

Jack sat in his seat, silently sulking as Poor-Excuse-For-A-Sub rambled on about signs of foreshadowing in whatever English literature and such. Blah, blah, blah. The same old lectures that were probably five billion years old or something. The class wasn't typically this dull as Mr. Pabbie was a _brilliant_ teacher, but this sub... _God._ He was the absolute definition of boring.

The sub's name was something like _Rotten_ or something. Or at least something that rhymed with 'rotten.' No matter, bad name or not, time definitely _hadn't_ served the sub well. Mr. 'Rotten' had a thick bushy mustache that was the color of milk that went bad...a few years ago. He also had eyes that always seemed to be squinting, so Jack couldn't tell what color they were. They could've been gray or green or blue, but Jack wouldn't be surprised if they were straight-up red 'cause _this guy_ definitely belonged in hell.

"Now, Romeo and Juliet—"

Okay, time to tune out.

 _You know, speaking of Romeo and Juliet..._

 _Shut up._

 _I'm just saying, how are you going give a dazzling proclamation of love?_

A slight frown crossed Jack's features as he thought about it. Well, his 'big gesture' on professing his feelings to Elsa had been fruitless—well, it wouldn't have been if she didn't come in earlier than anticipated. But still...she seemed pleased _without_ a big gesture. Maybe she _would_ like a small conversation leading up to those three words. ...or maybe she didn't need to hear them at all. After all, they _just_ confessed that they liked each other. Why rush a good thing?

But if he _was_ to do it...how would he set it up?

Would he just breathe the words into her ear as his fingers gripped hers? Would he build up a conversation leading to those three words? Would he write them down on a piece of paper, seal it in a rose-colored envelope, and send it off to her room via a white dove? A simple text? Cupcakes with the words written in icing? Or maybe performing a song?

Jack looked up, and almost as if Elsa knew that he was watching her, she turned back and smiled at him warmly before turning back to the teacher. He knew that she could pretend that she was paying attention and make it look good. Jack suddenly found himself doodling a heart on his notebook, a heart encompassing a few initials: _J + E._ Blushing, Jack quickly scratched out the letters. He set his pencil down before doing something stupid like doodling a badly drawn version of Elsa or something (because _she_ was the artist, not him).

Swallowing thickly, Jack pulled out his phone and send Elsa a quick text: _Walk with me after class._ He noticed her shoot him a sharp look at the whole 'texting in class' stuff, but she didn't openly shun him or anything. Satisfied, Jack waited for the rest of the seconds of the class to tick down. Soon, class was over, and Jack headed out, waiting for Elsa.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling.

Elsa rolled her eyes, but a pleasant smile was on her lips. "Hey yourself, stranger."

"So," Jack said, clearing his throat several times, "I just..." He chickened out. "How do you like my tie? I actually wore it this time."

Elsa laughed. "It looks wonderful on you, Jack."

He grinned. "I love hearing that from my girlfriend." WHAT THE HELL DID HE JUST SAY? Elsa's laughter froze, and she stared at him. "I mean—I just—" Jack stuttered. He blushed bashfully at her. "Am I not allowed to call you that?"

Elsa laughed lightly. "No, it's fine," she said breezily. She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I have to get to my next class. See you later?"

He nodded at her, smiling, as he watched her walk off. He thought he saw a bounce in her steps, and the image of her blushing rose in his mind. Usually, he absolutely hated it when girls blushed. After all, what was the point of turning their faces tomato-red? It looked unnatural and weird and reminded him of ketchup. And no one wanted to make out with a plate of ketchup. But on Elsa...it actually looked... _cute._

 _So, have you decided what you're going to do about telling her you love her?_

 _If I love her,_ Jack corrected.

Did he, Jackson Overland, love Elsa Wynters?

And, more importantly, if he did...did she love him back?

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Do you think that luck comes out in small portions?"

Elsa turned curiously towards Jack. They were currently in 'his' garden. She firmly believed that the garden was for everyone, but he, being the astonishingly stubborn creature he was, firmly believed that it was his. Maybe, before all of this craziness, she would've thought that he was being egotistical. But now, it hardly mattered to her. After all, it wasn't like they were going to stay in the academy forever. Jack would probably find himself another garden.

Elsa directed her attention back to his words. "Luck?" she echoed.

"Yeah," he said, glancing briefly at her before directing his gaze back to the stunning array of stars above their heads. "Do you think that it comes out in small portions? Or does it just come out all at once? Like, if you're unlucky and then you're suddenly lucky? Or if some people are just blessed with luckiness in their lives among occasional bad days?"

A slight frown graced Elsa's lips. "Well..." she said slowly. "I _guess_ so. I mean, I've never really thought about it."

Jack nodded, and they remained silent for several moments, just admiring the stars together. Somewhere there, his fingers wrapped around hers, deliciously warm against the cool night air. Several times Elsa glanced back at him. His features were the perfect expression of tranquility and bliss. And she thought she knew him well enough to know that something was up.

Finally, curiosity proved too much for her, and Elsa murmured, "What prompts the question anyway? It was just so random."

Jack shrugged slightly. "It just crossed my mind not too long ago, and it's been probing my mind ever since," he answered simply. "I mean, think about it. Of course, maybe it's not all that fair if some people are just luckier than others, right?" Elsa nodded, and Jack shrugged once more. "I mean, there are some people who can never catch a break—just have an unlucky existence in general." He tipped his head towards the night sky. "And then there are people like me."

Elsa scoffed at this, though it was born more out of amusement than exasperation at Jack's antics. It was just so _Jack_ of him. "Why am I not surprised that you think this?"

"I'm just saying," Jack pointed out. "I mean, I'm ridiculously popular and handsome." Elsa rolled her eyes at that, but surprisingly, there was a serious glint in Jack's frost-colored eyes. "I attend one of the most prestigious academies out there—and the teachers love me. I've got Naveen, who's my best friend and keeps me on the tip of my toes. I've got Flynn, who's closer than a brother and just about the reason I'm alive. And now..." Jack turned towards her, eyes intense. "I've got the most amazing girl ever as my girlfriend, and I'm just so happy that I..." Jack breathed in sharply, lips still parted as if he had the words but couldn't quite say them.

"Jack," Elsa breathed.

His eyes burned into hers, and she caught a glimpse of the moonlight in his eyes. "I'm just so happy, I've never been so happy in my entire life," Jack murmured. "And...it's all thanks to you."

Elsa leaned closer to him, fingers still laced with his, and closed her eyes as his lips brushed against hers. It was the softest kiss anyone had ever given her. A cool chill swept through the air, carrying an intoxicating scent of roses and currant, deliciously cloying against her skin. Warmth spread from her fingertips to the bottom of her toes.

 _"Jack..."_

His lips grazed her cheek gently, his breath warm against her cheek. Elsa hummed in contentment. The look in Jack's gaze was warm and soft, and when he spoke again, his words were deliciously husky. "Elsa, I... I lov—"

 _"There you are!"_

Rapunzel's voice was like a slice of lightning slashing through the air. Elsa sprang away from Jack instinctively, heart going a million miles a second. Rapunzel had to be _blind_ not to notice their cuddling, but it appeared she _hadn't._ Instead, a bright smile was on her face. "Come on, Elsa! You _have_ to see the cake your sister made! Oh my God—I didn't know she was so talented in cooking!"

Elsa cast a quick glance at Jack, who looked about ready to murder Rapunzel right then and there for interrupting them. In a hurried voice, Elsa exploded out into a faked grin. "Well, that's wonderful! The last time she cooked something for me, it took me _ages_ to regain the use of my taste buds," Elsa half-joked. It _was_ sort of true. But Anna had been so earnest, Elsa couldn't stay mad at her.

Those times had been...well, not exactly _happier._ But things had seemed more _simple_ back then. The memory filled Elsa with a wistful feeling. Anna would always be her sister, though they might not always agree on, say, _everything,_ and she loved her sister. But there would have to be a day when Elsa would have to just...let go of that overly-protective sister thing she had going on.

...but maybe not right now, not today. Not when she felt so happy.

She stole a peek at Jack, whose gaze reflected back the dark night sky. He must've caught her staring at him because he turned towards her, a lofty smile on his face. It lingered for a brief heartbeat, but it filled Elsa with an elated feeling. She turned back to Rapunzel. It was actually quite impossible _not_ to notice the girl. She was tugging at Elsa's arm so vigorously that Elsa thought Rapunzel might yank her arm straight out of its socket.

"Come on!" Rapunzel exclaimed excitedly. "And I guess you can come, too, Jack. Let's hurry! Anna's so excited!"

As Rapunzel scampered on, Jack gritted his teeth, scowling. "So I have _Anna_ to thank for this interruption," he growled.

Elsa grinned. "Come on, lighten up," she said, prodding his ribs. "She's my sister."

As they walked, Elsa couldn't help but wish that they didn't have to keep their relationship a secret. Yes, she liked her privacy and all, but did they _have_ to be so secretive all the time? Of course, it probably wouldn't be fair to alert just _everyone._ There were some people who deserved to hear the news first. Elsa's father was one—and so was Anna. Rapunzel also deserved the news; knowing _her,_ the girl would freak out. And...perhaps most of all, Hans deserved to hear the news. Elsa had selfishly toyed with his feelings, and the least he deserved was a little a bit of a warning.

Of course, Hans didn't deserve _any_ of this _at all._

Elsa turned back to Jack. His dark expression had lightened into an easy smile. He reached over, intertwining their fingers. She couldn't stop a blissful smile from crossing her features as she watched him. His frost-colored eyes conveyed a warmth so intense and so ethereal that Elsa hardly dared to breathe less eradicate the beautiful spell. His words danced back to her.

 _Do you think that luck comes out in small portions?_ _I mean, think about it. Of course, maybe it's not all that fair if some people are just luckier than others..._ _And now...I've got the most amazing girl ever as my girlfriend..._ _I've never been so happy in my entire life. And...it's all thanks to you._ _Elsa, I... I lov—_

Elsa nearly stopped walking right then and there.

Had Jack been trying to...before Rapunzel had interrupted them, had he been trying to tell her that he _loved_ her? Was his whole 'lucky' spiel just building up to a confession Elsa would've never known she would want?

 _I... I lov_ —

That _had_ to be it! Jack had been about to tell her that he loved her!

Suddenly, everything else faded out around Elsa except for him. She felt as if she was made out of stardust. She couldn't focus on anything else but that beautiful smile on Jack's face.

And in that very moment, there was nothing more in the world that Elsa wanted to do than tell him that she loved him.

But...Jackson Overland wasn't your typical boy next door. Although Jack never outright said it, Elsa could tell that he didn't really understand the concepts of true love. He had been through many girls and flings, so it must've been difficult for him to even reach this point. She understood. This must've been very confusing for Jack, discovering it all like that.

True love must've meant a great deal to Jack. ...and the fact that he had been ready to say it... The thought made Elsa feel warm all over.

She turned towards Jack, a soft, affectionate smile gracing her lips.

 _I love you, too, Jack._

* * *

 **QotD: Are you an outdoors-type of person or an indoors?  
**

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 **A/N: This chappie... Mmm. I really, really, really, _really_ loved writing this. Jack and Elsa are finally together! Ah, but don't think that it's that simple. I have a load of drama left planned out for the eight chapters left, so stay tuned! The path of true love never runs easily... This chapter was such a breeze to write once I got my flow since I knew exactly how I wanted it.  
**

 **HOWEVER, with eight chapters left...yup, it's safe to say that I have barely touched the angst-y part of it.**

 **Now, as you all should know by now: I absolutely love humor. I love writing the light-hearted teasing and conversations of this story. -clears throat uncomfortably- Not to be a spoil sport or anything, but... I'll leave you to your imagination on possible things that might happen. Be mindful of the word 'angst' please. And don't hate me _too_ much later, okay?**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


	13. Shot Me Down

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There will be mentions of OCs in the future as teachers 'cause I'm too lazy to search up stuff.**

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 **Chapter 12 - Shot Me Down  
**

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 **"I find it hard to tell you.** **I find it hard to take.** **When people run in circles, i** **t's a very, very mad world." - Excerpt from _Mad World,_ Gary Jules  
**

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 **A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Will you look at that! I actually updated on Christmas! Three updates in a month! I did it!  
**

 **Now, this is the part where half of you say, _I knew you could do it all along!_ And also the part where the _other_ half of you say, _I knew you could do it all along!_ Now, I know what you're thinking: _what's the difference?_ Ha! The difference? Why, only half of you believed that I could actually do it! The other half doubted me the entire time!**

 **Don't worry, forgive and forget, right? And maybe you'll hate me after this chapter...**

 **On that note, enjoy. I hope.**

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Perhaps it wasn't _that_ bad that Jack had been caught sneaking out after hours. After all, if he was in trouble, it meant that he wouldn't have to help Kristoff around anymore, right?

"Jackson Overland—"

Uh oh. Here came the lecture. This was one of Fairy Godmother's _good_ ones, Jack could tell. Sometimes, he wondered if she just took up the post as headmaster of Rosethorn Academy _just_ to torture poor, innocent students like him.

"How dare you?!" Fairy Godmother all but shrieked. Her cheeks were flushed in a _very_ unattractive shade of tomatoes. "You are _supposed_ to be setting an example towards the younger students, but here you are! Goofing off _once again._ I'm surprised that you haven't been suspended more times given your countless disregard for the rules and your snappy attitude. In fact, what exactly _were_ you trying to do?"

"It was all in the name of love!" Jack protested. It was true, despite his reputation for being a fast-talking liar. He had been trying to visit Elsa, something she had been _very_ against (not him visiting her in general, but him visiting her when he was supposed to be in his room). He hadn't planned on getting caught because he usually _never_ got caught, but he supposed that he _had_ to have some bad luck to even out all of his good luck. It was only fair, right?

"The name of love!" Fairy Godmother scoffed. "How utterly preposterous! What love? The love of breaking the rules?!"

Well...that was _somewhat_ true, but it had all been for Elsa!

[Mostly, at least.]

"I didn't _mean_ to do it!" Jack said, frustrated as he tried to weasel his way out of this mess. "And I _am_ sorry."

"Sorry?" Fairy Godmother thundered.

"Yeah," Jack muttered. "I _am_ sorry." A dark voice in his head whispered, _sorry for getting caught._ Jack tried to ignore the voice. It sounded sort of like his own voice, but it had a darker streak to it that was _so_ not Jack enough for him. He didn't like the voice very much, despite how much he liked hearing his own voice. It sort of...well, gave him the creeps, if you knew what he meant.

"Well, I suppose you _are_ sorry," Fairy Godmother snarled.

"Come on," Jack pleaded. "It's like you're trying me with expulsion or something!"

"You _are_ being tried with expulsion!" Fairy Godmother snapped. "But..." She sighed heavily. "A student has vouched for you. So this time, you _aren't_ being booted out of this academy, Mr. Overland."

"What?" Jack raised a brow. Did he hear her right? "A student _vouched_ for me? Who? Everyone hates me here." Again, not true, but hey, if he was going for pity, why not go the entire way?

"That's what _I_ would've thought," Fairy Godmother said, crossing her arms, "but it appears that Mr. Bjorgman has insisted for you to stay."

 _"Kristoff_ wanted _me_ to _stay?"_

What was going on with the world? Kristoff, the most sarcastic person ever, who also loved messing with Jack and made it clear that he would've preferred a _skunk_ to show him around the academy than him, was the one who _vouched_ for him?! What?! Jack had made it lucid that he didn't like Kristoff any more than Kristoff liked him (though he had _no idea_ why Kristoff wouldn't, seeing as he was perfect and all).

Well, maybe Kristoff was just keeping up a facade. Most people did.

Still, who would go so far to pretend to hate someone? ...unless Kristoff actually _did_ hate him. But what was the motive for vouching for Jack? And, not to be vain or anything, but why didn't any of his _other_ friends vouch for him? Unless Fairy Godmother just didn't listen to those friends or something... Maybe she was just in a bad mood today.

"You've stepped out of line far too many times, Mr. Overland!"

Yeah, that had to be it.

"I _am_ sorry, for what it's worth," Jack grumbled sullenly.

"Ragers, skipping classes, sneaking off in the middle of the night—"

"—actually," Jack interrupted, "it was one rager, _and_ it wasn't the middle of the night. More like eleven-ish."

"—and those are the only transactions that you've been _caught_ with," Fairy Godmother snarled. "God knows what else you've been doing in your _spare time."_ She must've been _really_ pissed if she sounded _that_ angry—this, the headmistress who was _known_ for her eternal generosity and kindness. Of course, Jack _might've_ pushed her buttons one too many times.

 ** _One_** _too many times?_

 _Oh, not **you** again, _Jack groaned.

 _Yes, **me**_ _again. Hello, I live inside your **head?** Believe me, if I had the choice, I'd **happily** go to Fairy Godmother's head. Or, mmm, the devil._

 _The devil?!_ Jack scoffed, offended.

 _Hey, I live in **your** head. Can't be that much of a downgrade. Hell, it'll probably be an_—

 _I swear, if you say the word 'upgrade'..._

Jack directed his attention back to Fairy Godmother, but his smile came out as more of a grimace. Breathing in deeply, he schooled his face into a careful look of pure innocence (okay, maybe not _pure,_ but it's the thought that counts!). "I understand if you feel the need to kick me out," he told her, casting his eyes downward, trying to appear disheartened. "I mean, I know that it's your job. I mean, you're such a great headmistress. You can't make excuses, even for me, and I understand. I _respect_ that. It's what you do, and"—he laughed lightly—"you're fair. You're _more_ than fair. I _completely_ comprehend."

It wasn't like he was buttering her up to manipulate her niceness. And it wasn't like he was using his natural charisma to get what he wanted.

Oh wait...that was _exactly_ what he was doing. His bad.

Fairy Godmother's face softened. A soft sigh echoed out of her lips, and a small laugh left her lips. "Jack, you are a sweet boy," she said carefully, probably mulling things over in her head. "And I think that you _do_ deserve a second chance." Bitterly, Jack knew that this wasn't his 'second chance'—nor was it his third or fourth or fifth. He _had_ manipulated her before, but it wasn't like he didn't know that. He _did_ feel bad about it, guilty about it, but not enough to stop.

Jack pressed his lips together, trying to appear remorseful. " _I_ don't," he mumbled sadly. His lips twisted, and he let a pitiful expression grace his features.

Okay...maybe he was overdoing it...but only a little!

"Well," the headmistress conceded, "I do believe in the power of forgiveness. Alright then. Here's how it goes now..."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Can you believe it!"

Flynn chuckled. "What?"

"The stupid, stubborn, egotistical headmistress is practically making me a _slave!"_ Jack exclaimed indignantly. "I mean, she practically said, _you have to be at Kristoff's every beck and call_ without actually saying those words!" Jack grunted in utter disgust as he and Flynn approached the cafeteria. "I mean, can you _believe_ her?! Ugh. I am _such_ a great student! Like...who in the right mind would do this to me?"

Flynn snorted. "I can think of a list of people. And 'stupid, stubborn, egotistical'... Are you so sure you aren't describing _yourself?"_

Jack glared. "Excuse _you."_

"Besides, in her defense—"

 _"What?!_ The good-for-nothing teacher doesn't _get_ a defense! How dare you defend her!" Jack snorted in disgust. "Some friend _you_ are."

"Better than _you,"_ Flynn shot back. "You tried to _manipulate_ one of the nicest people around!"

"Well, in my defense, she isn't my friend. And for another...I mean, if someone is just _that easy_ to manipulate, maybe there are just there to be manipulated."

Flynn stopped in his tracks, a look of distaste spreading across his features. "I can't believe you," he said, disgusted. "And you know the worst part about it: you actually _mean_ it. You meant every word you just said! That's disgusting." He placed a hand over his heart. "And here we all thought you had changed for the better. Looks like there's still that same old Jack Overland sitting under all that grace and charm. _Shame."_

"Don't shame me," Jack said, crossing his arms. "It wasn't even my fault! And I can be _sure_ that I won't be the last person to manipulate the headmistress!"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Well, no one would go to the extremes _you_ did, that's for sure."

"Well, there can only be _one_ Jack Overland," Jack said, smirking.

"Thank _God,"_ Flynn said with exaggerated relief. Jack stared, a look of betrayal on his face, but Flynn merely guffawed. _Some friend,_ Jack thought darkly, and he resisted the urge to throttle the good-for-nothing person. Just how dare he? "Loosen _up,_ Jack," Flynn said flippantly. "Anyway, your punishment isn't _that_ bad. Besides, this might even be good for you!"

"Might even be _good_ for me?"

"It's like one of those mental exercises for mentally messed up people," Flynn continued cheerfully.

"Except _I'm_ not mentally messed up," Jack scoffed.

"Doubtful," Flynn said in a sing-song-y voice.

"Thanks," Jack said dryly.

"Hey, look at it this way," Flynn said as they arrived at the twin doors. He pushed one open, and Jack walked through haughtily. With a roll of his eyes, Flynn followed him. "I mean, from what I gather from _years_ and _years_ of evidence"—a very discreet cough from Jack made Flynn make a face—"Kristoff basically sees you as a piece of trash—not a surprise, considering that's what most people— _put that knife down, Jack!"_

Jack raised a brow. "I was cutting a piece of _fudge,_ not your face. Don't give me ideas..."

Flynn shuddered. "Anyway, back to what _I_ was saying, ahem, before you started threatening me. So, Kristoff doesn't like you, right?" Jack grunted in answer, not wanting to admit to the answer. Flynn smirked and shrugged. "So, even if you _are_ supposed to be at his 'beck and call,' it isn't like he'll call you a lot, right? I mean, if he did, you'd probably be a last resort or something."

Jack paused, contemplating Flynn's words. "You actually...have a point."

Flynn looked amused. "Wow, lack of sugar is doing a wonder for your perpetually sardonic nature." Jack's fingers dug into the knife. "Never mind," Flynn muttered. "God, you're two degrees away from becoming a serial killer, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Jack said, digging the flat part of the knife into the piece of fudge to wedge it away. Grunting in satisfaction as the piece came loose, Jack ignored the plate in front of him and just reached for the fudge, letting the rich, _extremely sugary_ flavors melt into his mouth. The taste and aroma of the sweet chocolate immediately made Jack feel better. He chewed happily. "But being a serial killer means I get a last meal, right?" He pretended to think about it. "It almost seems worth it."

Flynn, on the contrary, looked horrified. "God, you're creepy."

"I'm just saying," Jack said, smirking at Flynn's horror. "I mean, but since I have no real family, I could just kill a bunch of people here, right? Seems fair enough."

Flynn shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes, you freak me out."

"Obviously. Now pass me the rest of that chocolate. I don't want to be booted out of here because of thievery."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"I can't believe he actually asked me for something!"

"I can't believe he actually asked you for something!"

Jack stared at Flynn. "I just said that."

Flynn rolled his eyes, very matter-of-fact. "Yeah, but it was to express the severity of the situation." He shook his head, just as dumbfounded as Jack, if not more. "I mean, _wow._ He must _really_ need your help with something. It probably isn't homework—his homework situation is probably different." He frowned. "Unless you think it's a practical subject? Like food or something?"

"He _did_ promise to get me donuts whenever he found some," Jack pondered.

Flynn huffed, "No, he _didn't._ _You_ said that he should, some nonsense about 'wasting perfectly good food.' Hell, I'm surprised you aren't some sort of obese monster."

"I wonder that, too," Jack said sarcastically. "Now get out of here. I have to go find him."

With a disgruntled mood, Jack headed over to Kristoff's room. He knocked three times before the door opened. He walked in and found Kristoff sitting in a chair, a small sardonic smile on his face. His finger was above a button that was installed into his room—to open it. Jack wasn't sure how it all worked, but he knew that Kristoff's room was rigged with heat sensors and stuff, so that Kristoff knew where everything was. The lucky bastard.

 _So you're jealous of the blind kid now? Bullying him wasn't enough for you?_

 _I never **bullied** him. Not that he didn't deserve it. And I am **not** jealous. That emotion is useless, and for losers. _

_Great. So you fit the personification._

Jack groaned. Having a self-conscience was such an utter _pain,_ say, about _all_ the time. He turned back to Kristoff and leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms stubbornly. "So, why did you call me here oh _great master?"_ he said, with a touch of his natural snark. It killed him a bit that he couldn't get through Kristoff's tough facade. Sigh. Sometimes, it was _stupidly_ hard being him.

"I just wanted to make it seem as if you were actually being punished," Kristoff said, very matter-of-fact.

"What! But I don't even _want_ to be punished!"

Kristoff raised a brow. "Oh, so you want me to put in a word to your teachers and tell them to put in a word to Fairy Godmother to increase the dosage of your punishment? Because that can be arranged. Heck, I can probably get you transferred out of here before sundown!" Jack stayed silent and merely glared at Kristoff. Whether Kristoff noticed the burning look or not (well, probably not considering he _was blind),_ Kristoff ignored it. "That's what I thought. See, I'm merely giving a pretense, so the teachers that hate you won't go complaining that you _aren't_ actually being punished."

Jack scuffed the ground angrily. "So what _am_ I supposed to do? I have much better things to do!" _Say, like, pig out in the cafeteria like a no-lifer with Flynn._

"I'm sure you do," Kristoff said, sarcasm dripping. "And by the way, _your welcome."_

Jack rolled his eyes. "Why would I thank you? You're the most sarcastic and rudest person I've ever met!"

"Clearly you haven't met yourself—what a shocker. I would've thought you would've. But I guess if you put your big head into factor, you can't see much anything else."

Jack's hands curled into fists. "What am I supposed to do?" he demanded furiously, understandably so.

"I guess you could chill here for the next half hour or so," the blind kid said with a very matter-of-fact tone. "I mean, unless you want to get caught by the one of the teachers..." He paused, letting Jack's imagination wander to all the possible consequences of ditching Kristoff at his apparent 'time of need.' Kristoff smiled dryly, folding his hands together. "You could read something to pass time."

Jack raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Reading—it's this thing people do when they're trying to—"

"— _yeah._ I know what reading is, don't be ridiculous," Jack scoffed. "I'm asking _why the hell are you suggesting that?"_

"I just said to pass time," Kristoff stated, raising a brow. "Or are you deaf? That, I suppose, could also be a reason as to why you're in this predicament."

Jack leaned back against the wall again, scowling. Clearly this was going to be a _long_ day.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"I would say that it's sweet and all, but..."

"What?"

Rapunzel scrunched up her nose, frown deepening. "It's not even that," Rapunzel commented as her quick fingers wove her long golden locks into a braid. They were sitting in Rapunzel's room, trying to get some homework done, emphasis on 'trying.' Honestly, Elsa felt as if _she_ was mostly doing the work while Rapunzel prattled on about the latest gossip or whatever.

"Rapunzel," Elsa said impatiently, pained, "he makes me happy."

"He makes a _lot_ of people happy," Rapunzel reminded her. "And I'm not trying to paint myself as the bad guy or anything. I'm just saying... _be careful."_ She shook her head, frowning as she got past a particularly difficult knot in her long tresses. "Jack Overland is a piece of work. You know that. Hell, you've _hated_ him at one point." She shook her head profusely and muttered, "My, my, how times have changed."

Elsa sighed. _"He's_ changed." She frowned, realizing that maybe her statement wasn't quite true. "Or maybe I didn't really know him at all."

"And what? You think he loves you?" Rapunzel didn't have to say it, but Elsa read the skepticism heavy in the girl's voice. "Has he actually even said it yet?"

"He—" Elsa bit her lip, tongue tripping over her words. Jack _hadn't_ said it, but...what about that whole spiel the other day leading up to what _had_ to be those three words? Elsa's fingertips pricked with warmth just at the thought of the memory. It was confusing and surreal and _warm,_ and Elsa herself knew that though she loved Jack, she had been waiting for him to say it first so that she would know that it was okay for _her_ to say it. And for Jack to take such a big step in putting himself out there, vulnerable, meant a great deal to Elsa.

However... She _did_ wish he could keep himself out of trouble. His little stunt, though the motives had been genuine, meant that she couldn't see him much.

Elsa tried to remember where she left off. "He doesn't have to, Rapunzel," Elsa said stubbornly. "I know he does."

It was Rapunzel's turn to be incredulous. "By what?" Rapunzel didn't bother to mask the scorn in her voice. "By a few kisses or a few words whispered under the moonlight? By his 'body language'? Because you can't possibly understand his body language— _Jack himself_ probably doesn't even understand his own body language! Elsa, I'm trying to help you, but you're not being realistic!" Rapunzel shook her head. "You know what you sound like right now?"

Elsa jutted out her chin. "What?"

"Like one of those million other flings he's had," Rapunzel said sharply. "They keep thinking that he'll return their affections, but in the end—no matter how long this will last, and trust me, it _won't_ —he just leaves them in the dust, like they're _nothing._ Because though he might mean everything to _him,_ they mean nothing to _him."_ Rapunzel ran a hand through her hair frustratedly. "Elsa, I'm trying to _protect_ you."

"Sounds like you're just demonizing my boyfriend!"

"It's not demonizing, Elsa," Rapunzel said slowly, meeting her eyes. "It's stating facts."

Elsa crossed her arms. "I thought you liked him. Not in, like, a romantic sense—but..."

"Jack is someone that can be a lot of fun," Rapunzel said, scoffing. "But I know that he can be a jerk when he wants to. Elsa, I just don't want you getting hurt! I've _seen_ it happen to a million other girls. He just plays with their feelings, and you're—you're _smarter_ than this, Elsa." She sighed, glaring at the ground before meeting Elsa's eyes once more. "I don't want that to be _you,_ pining over a lost cause once he breaks your heart."

"He's not _like_ that," Elsa retorted, eyes blazing. "He's sweet and kind and—"

"—you've just fallen for everything else anyone else has, Elsa!"

Elsa swallowed thickly. "No, I _haven't._ Rapunzel, I appreciate the concern, but I know what I'm doing!"

Rapunzel's eyes bore into hers. "Do you trust him?"

"Irrevocably," Elsa said, her answer immediate and steadfast. How could Rapunzel even ask her that? _Of course_ she trusted Jack! Why else would she be in a relationship with him? Elsa's answer and earnest and honest and just brimming with confidence. She knew that she could trust Jack. She knew him better than anyone else! She knew his favorite color, his favorite season, why he acted a certain way!

"Then have you told him about your dad?"

Elsa hesitated, but the lack of response was enough for Rapunzel.

"See? You're keeping _secrets."_ Rapunzel shook her head. "And who knows what _he's_ keeping from _you?_ This is _Jack."_ Rapunzel shook her head. "People change. But they don't change _that_ much."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"So, you still have a solid 'relationship' with Elsa?"

Jack glared at Kristoff. "I thought you didn't want to have a conversation with me."

"Oh, I _don't,"_ Kristoff said, shrugging. "But I can still be fascinated by the dynamics on how _you,_ of all people, can maintain a secret relationship with someone who..." Kristoff wrinkled his nose in visible distaste. He seemed to be doing that a lot around Jack. Or maybe it was just a Kristoff thing. He could hardly judge—he hardly knew this guy. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I never would've guessed that she was your type. Or, more important, that you were _her_ type."

"I'm everyone's type," Jack said, arrogance emphasizing each word.

 _"Clearly._ I mean, you're just _so charming,"_ Kristoff said mockingly. "But still, from what _I've_ heard—"

"Please _shut up_ right now," Jack said tiredly. "I am _so_ not in the mood for you to go dissing my girlfriend or my relationship."

"Girlfriend?" Kristoff echoed. "So you two talked it over?"

Jack shot him a fierce scowl, but the scowl held no fire behind it. It didn't last long. ...it also didn't last long because Jack realized that Kristoff couldn't actually _see_ Jack glaring at him...or see _anything_ in particular. "Not that it's any of your business," Jack huffed, crossing his arms, "but _yes,_ we did talk it over." His words turned warm as he thought of the memory. He closed his eyes, and in his mind's eye, he could see Elsa, framed out by the brilliant moonlight.

Kristoff smirked. "Huh. Will the wonders never cease?"

Jack stared off in the distance. Half to himself, he muttered, "Is it crazy to think that you love someone in such a sort amount of time?"

It was only when Kristoff chuckled that Jack realized that he was still there. "You're actually serious, aren't you?" Kristoff said, laughing lightly. Then, his tone turned more serious. "I suppose it isn't _impossible."_ He considered his words. "Just unlikely. Especially for someone like _you."_ Again rang out that sharp note in Kristoff's voice. "But...feelings don't just...they don't just develop over night. They're like a fine soup—they stew with time for better texture and quality."

"I can't figure out which is stranger—the fact that you're talking to me _rationally_ about my relationship or the fact that you compared my feelings to _soup."_

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "But of _course_ you'd think about _that_ part." He inclined his head.

Jack sighed. "Unlikely, huh..."

There was a long pause before Kristoff spoke again. "But not impossible," Kristoff repeated softly. "But if someone like you can just openly say the word 'love' just like that..." A soft smile, one with no malice for once, curled onto the edge of Kristoff's lips. "Then it must be something special." He chuckled darkly. "Unless you're just messing with me, which I wouldn't be surprised if you were."

"I'm glad you think so _highly_ of me."

Kristoff narrowed his eyes. "Can you blame me? You brought your reputation among yourself."

Jack scowled, but...Kristoff's words were...sort of true. Okay, they _were_ true. Completely. But still. It wasn't exactly a good thought to have. Jack didn't tend to dwell on things like this—which might've given him that sort of reputation... Instead, Jack turned back to Kristoff, sighing deeply. "Maybe I have," he grumbled sullenly. "Maybe I haven't." _Maybe it isn't even a 'maybe' sort of question,_ a dark voice inside his head whispered, and he told it, very firmly, to go away.

His companion scoffed. "No maybes about it."

Jack grinded his teeth. "Did anyone tell you that you're utterly impossible?"

"I don't know, possibly," Kristoff said, smirking. He frowned slightly. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"'Bout your girlfriend's dad," Kristoff said, chuckling darkly. "Even _I've_ heard the news, even if no one has actually openly told me. I actually eavesdropped on a private conversation." His gaze darkened briefly. "Funny how much you can get away with when people pity you and underestimate you and just don't notice you, as if you were a ghost or air." A bitter note rang out in Kristoff's voice.

A frown darkened Jack's face. "What're you talking about? And I don't mean your problems."

"How your girl's dad is sick or something. Damaged lungs or something. I didn't quite catch the details, being blind and stuff."

But Kristoff's snark was lost on Jack, who was stunned, still trying to comprehend the rest of Kristoff's words. Sure, Jack hadn't seen Elsa's dad in a while—since the funeral—but still, wouldn't this be something he should've _known?_ Wouldn't Elsa tell him? Didn't she trust him?

 _Of course she trusts you,_ his conscience murmured soothingly.

But what else would be a legitimate reason for keeping this from him?

 **Behind Her Smile**

Ever since the, ahem, _disagreement_ about Jack, Elsa had been weary of Rapunzel.

It wasn't like she was openly _ignoring_ her long-haired friend because she _wasn't._ They hung out, they laughed at bad jokes, they commented on the latest drama (well, mostly _Rapunzel_ did that...Elsa just pretended she knew what was going on). But there was a layer of ice between them. Sometimes, Elsa wondered if it was all in her head, but at times, when she saw Rapunzel watching her or Jack too intently, she knew that Rapunzel remained as stubborn as ever with her beliefs.

And the girl had every right to—but this, this was just getting _ridiculous._

Ridiculous on levels that just didn't even seem possible.

Sometimes, she wondered if this had just become a game they were playing, just waiting for the other one to crack, but there were always, _always_ contradictions... Sometimes, Rapunzel would make a comment that, to an outsider, might not seem directed towards Elsa's boyfriend—but there was usually this stinging barb hidden beneath the layers of cheer in the girl's voice. It aggravated Elsa to no end.

Rapunzel's words also haunted Elsa: _"See? You're keeping **secrets.** And who knows what **he's** keeping from **you?** This is **Jack**. People change. But they don't change **that** much."_

Elsa knew that she trusted Jack. She trusted him _irrevocably_ —but why worry him over something that would probably just gloss over? Besides, Elsa wanted to be able to solve things _on her own._ That was the way it had _always_ been. And besides, even if she told Jack, it wasn't like it was going to change anything. Telling Jack wouldn't miraculously cure her father. Rapunzel was overreacting. Everything was _fine._

But...Elsa didn't like fighting with Rapunzel (even if they were both technically not really fighting with each other).

The point remained: this was taking a toll on their friendship. And Elsa didn't want this to happen.

 **Behind Her Smile**

"Hey, what's on your mind?"

Jack turned towards Flynn, who was staring deeply at his hands, gaze flickering absentmindedly as if though his body was _with_ Jack, his head just _wasn't._ Jack would've written this off as nothing, but this just wasn't very _Flynn_ of...well, _Flynn._ And, yes, Jack probably wouldn't have noticed this, but Flynn didn't even laugh at Jack's joke, so something just _had_ to be up.

 _Unless you're just not funny._

 _Shut your trap. I am **too** funny._

 _HAHAHA! That's hilarious that you think that! Scratch that! You **are** funny!_

Jack refrained from growling aloud at his conscience. God, did everyone have to deal with this, or was Jack just _special?_ Well, of course, he already knew that he was special and all, but did he really deserve this?

Flynn finally turned towards him, eyes heavy with indecision. "Um...I need to talk to you."

Normally, under, say, _normal circumstances,_ Jack would've snappily remarked, _"Aren't we talking right now?"_ But it was _painfully lucid_ that something was bothering Flynn. "Alright then." Jack blinked. "Talk."

But Flynn shook his head. "Not here. Somewhere private."

"Oh..." Jack's frown deepened. _Something is wrong._ "Alright then. How about the garden?"

"Mm, let's go."

And then, Flynn strode past Jack, without even paying attention to see if Jack followed in suit. A sinking feeling entered Jack's bones as he watched Flynn. Then, after another heart-beat of hesitation, Jack followed his best friend to the garden. There was something in the air—or something in his blood—that told him that he would _not_ like Flynn's news.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Whenever Jack and Flynn usually went on a walk together, it was a blast—laughing and teasing and joking around. They would shove the unsuspecting other into a tree. They would challenge each other. They would make anything and everything a competition. They would yell childish insults into the air. They would pretend they were in elementary school and do stupid, _ridiculous_ things just because they could.

It was _painfully lucid_ as Flynn met Jack's eyes that this would _not_ be one of those times.

 _Whatever he has to say, don't be a jerk about it and exactly open your mind,_ Jack's conscience warned. Jack grunted but remained silent.

For the longest time they just walked around the garden in mindless circles. Flynn was the one who had clearly stated that he needed to talk to Jack, so Jack was just waiting for Flynn to start the conversation. But instead, Flynn just remained silent, jaws clamped shut. The wind picked up its pace, and the cold became more unbearable than the silence when Jack finally told him, "Flynn, I'm freezing, and I can't feel my feet. Tell me why you dragged me out here, or let me return to the inside with my girlfriend." Though everyone _else_ in the school (with the exception of Rapunzel) didn't know about their relationship, Flynn and Naveen were in the few that actually knew.

Jack's words brought Flynn to a halt. Flynn looked at him, lips pressed in a thin line. "Do you remember when your mother tried to—?"

"—of course I do," Jack said, voice hard and strained. He had no idea why Flynn was mentioning this _now._ "That was the day you saved my life and the day we _really_ became brothers."

Flynn locked eyes with him. "You know that I would do anything for you, you know? That I would support your choices, no matter what?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "That's a nice sentiment and all, but I already knew that! And there's no way you just dragged me in this _freezing_ garden just to tell me that. What's _really_ on your mind?"

Flynn looked away, his gaze trained on a hydrangea flower. He swallowed thickly. "You know, Rapunzel and I broke up. ...and I'm dating Ariel now."

Jack nearly choked. "You two _what?"_

"Your hearing is perfectly fine, Jack. You heard me the first time," Flynn said, voice hard. Jack finally noticed that there was a sort of determination in Flynn's eyes. He wasn't kidding. He was being _serious._ "I'm dating Ariel now, and I'm not asking for your approval or anything, but as your best friend and brother, I'm asking you to _accept_ it."

Jack's eyes widened. _"Accept_ it? It was bad enough you did that stupid duet with her! You—her—she was friends with _Rapunzel!_ She didn't tell the girl—Rapunzel found out because she _overheard._ Ariel's a traitor!"

"God, Jack," Flynn scowled. "How long are you going to keep up that grudge?! Why does it matter since Rapunzel forgave Ariel anyway?!"

"She could've stopped the mess from happening in the first place!" Jack thundered angrily.

Flynn shook his head darkly. "No, she couldn't! This isn't Ariel's fault. There wasn't enough time—"

 _"Fine._ Maybe she couldn't have prevented it from happening that way! But she still could've had the decency to tell Rapunzel!"

Flynn scoffed. "Oh, and I wonder how _that_ conversation would go: 'Rapunzel, I'm doing a love song with your boyfriend. Just thought you should know.'" His voice had grown louder until he was almost shouting.

"Are you telling me she was _embarrassed_ to tell Rapunzel?" Jack demanded.

"She was _afraid!"_

"Because she's a _coward!"_ Jack shook his head, utterly disgusted. "She believed the rumors on how unforgiving Rapunzel was?! So not only is your girlfriend is coward, she's naive as well." Jack locked eyes with Flynn, whose gaze burned with fury. Softly, Jack taunted in a sickeningly, mockingly sweet voice, "She's quite the catch, isn't she? Absolutely _perfect_ for you."

"Take that back!" Flynn snarled. "Take back every wrong thing you've ever said about Ariel!"

"Oh, I would _love_ to, brother," Jack scoffed, "except everything I've said about the coward is _true."_

Flynn shoved Jack back, eyes burning with fury. "I'll have you know that _coward_ has been nothing short of the best girlfriend for the _past three weeks!"_

Jack was shocked. There was no way he heard that correctly. There was absolutely _no way_ that Flynn would've kept this secret from him for _three whole weeks..._ Jack was stunned into silence, a rare sight. He forgot to school his features into a stone-cold mask, and Flynn saw right through him, saw his absolute horror. Flynn's eyes softened a little. "I wanted to tell you," Flynn murmured softly. _"We_ wanted to tell you, but we were waiting for a right time..."

Jack's horror faded into full blown cold fury. _"Three weeks,"_ he rasped, echoing Flynn's words. "You've been dating that _coward_ for _three whole weeks,_ and you've not said a _word_ about it to _me?"_

Cold, vehement fury sharpened Flynn's gaze. _"I told you to stop calling her_ —"

"I told you about Elsa almost as soon as we became official!" Jack said, betrayal thick in his voice. "As soon as we—" Jack's voice died away, and his voice grew hard. "Does anyone else know your _relationship?"_ Jack snapped. "Does Naveen know? Or Charm?"

Flynn's gaze darkened to angry hallows. "Of course they don't," he spat, voice sharp. "I wanted my _brother_ to be the first to know."

"Flynn, I'm touched," Jack drawled, forcing as much sarcasm as humanly possible in his voice. "Really, I am."

A scowl drew up the corners of Flynn's lips, and his lips curled back into a frightening glare. "And what about _you?_ Ariel's told me _everyone_ about it. She expressed her guilt and her confusion and how dark she was in that time and place. You have no idea what truly when on! How dare you judge her?!" Flynn's eyes burned with fury. "And what about _Elsa?_ We all know that you're just going to ditch her as soon as the next girl catches your eye. Tabbies don't change their stripes, Jack," Flynn said coldly.

Jack's hands curled into tight fists. "Flynn, if you know what's good for you," Jack hissed, "you'll stop talking _right now!"_

Flynn's eyes widened incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? So it's alright for _you_ to antagonize _me_ and _my girlfriend,_ but when it comes to _you_ —"

"Elsa means everything to me! No one else has come remotely _close!"_

"Something tells me that if you told her about _every single fling you've ever had_ —and I'm not just talking about _school_ —she wouldn't take it very well," Flynn growled, voice low and dangerous. "Remember that incident on that _field trip,_ Jack? You didn't just use someone as just another mindless fling, you _hurt_ someone. You ruined someone's—"

Jack's nails dug into his palms, and he saw red. "Don't you dare bring that up to her! As a matter of fact, don't ever speak to her _again!_ Don't say anything to her, don't even do so much as _look_ at her—"

"Only if you leave _Ariel_ the hell alone," Flynn retorted.

Jack's lips curled back into a dangerous snarl. Flynn's eyes were narrowed in antagonism. They had never been like this before, this _hostile_ with each other before. Flynn's expression mirrored Jack's, a perfect alignment of hatred and swimming pools of fury. The dispute was finally winding down, but as it did so, so did their relationship. Every word was brought forth to hurt and sting as much as claws raking against flesh. They would never get past this. Never.

"Your mother would be so disappointed in you," Jack spat. It was quite possibly the worst thing Jack could've said to Flynn.

Flynn met Jack's gaze evenly, eyes cold and hard. "But I suppose you know what a mother's disappointment looks like, don't you?"

 **Behind Her Smile**

The next few days were...certainly something. Apparently, Flynn and his _precious new girlfriend_ had announced to the entire school (as if anyone gave a crap about them!) that they were a thing. Jack wasn't there for the announcement due to...time constraints, but he had asked Elsa all about it. Elsa had said that everyone—minus a sour blonde—was excited for the new couple, but a large chunk of them thought that Flynn and Ariel would never last. Also, Eric had been disappointed because he thought that Ariel had been into him.

And Flynn and Jack... They hadn't exactly talked or smoothed things over—kind of hard to do when they weren't even on talking terms. It appeared as if they had both come to a mutual agreement of pretending that the other didn't exist. Whenever they passed each other in the halls, they flat-out ignored each other. When they were assigned as biology partners, they asked for new ones. It was a mess, really. No more joking around. No more stupid, elementary-school dares. No more challenging each other at every turn in joyous playful ways.

Jack was miserable.

He _missed_ Flynn. They had grown up together, and Flynn was the closest thing to a brother that Jack had. He wouldn't have believed anyone who would've told him that they'd come to this point.

But no matter how much Jack missed Flynn, he, Jackson Overland, was _not_ going to apologize. The storm would pass, Flynn would realize that Ariel never deserved him at all, and Flynn would come back and apologize to Flynn. And when Flynn gave that up and coming apology speech, Jack would, of course, accept. And everything would be back to normal.

 **Behind Her Smile**

Elsa's lips twisted into a slight frown as she watched Jack sort out groups for the homework club, which they had actually joined. It had given them an excuse to spend time with each other—since they hadn't exactly pronounced their relationship to anyone. But it was fine. It was _better_ than fine. Jack was sweet and caring and thoughtful, and he was exactly what she needed. But the homework _did_ have its drawbacks. Ariel and Flynn were in it. Elsa was fine with those two. _Jack,_ on the other hand...

It was like he was making a point. And he was making it so _painfully obvious._ Jack assigned Ariel into a group with a bunch of guys that Ariel didn't along with. Ariel scowled, but as soon as Flynn wrapped his arms around her, the scowl melted away. And Flynn didn't even seem to notice Jack's growing glare. However, on the other side of the room, Rapunzel sat stiffly in her chair, trying to mask her displeasure but failing.

"I guess Flynn and Jack are still ignoring each other?"

Elsa turned towards Hans, who had pulled up a chair by her. "Yeah," Elsa said softly.

Hans shook his head darkly. "What I would give to know what went down between them... I swear, they were fine just the other week!"

Elsa shot him a dirty look. "It's not really any of our business, though, is it?" she said sharply. Of course Jack had told Elsa every fine detail about exactly what went down between him and Flynn—and Elsa was sure that Naveen and Ariel both knew—but as for everyone else, they were all left in the dark. Everyone _else_ only knew that Flynn and Jack weren't on good terms for...probably the first time in...well, _ever._

"I mean, I guess not," Hans admitted slowly, "but you can't tell me you aren't just a _little_ bit interest—"

 _"Hans!_ You can make your own group!" Jack called out suddenly.

Hans turned towards Elsa, a smile softening on his lips. "Elsa, care to join my—?"

"Anyone but Elsa!" Jack added.

Elsa couldn't suppress a wry smile from gracing her lips. Jack was being so obvious about it that Elsa was surprised that no one had actually figured out about their relationship. But then again, Jack always did this sort of thing with Hans. It was typical, _normal,_ even, like a routine. Perhaps no one else found it strange. Or maybe they just didn't pay attention to things like this.

Hans sighed. "Well, I'll see you around, Elsa."

As soon as Hans padded off, Jack almost immediately replaced Hans' newly evacuated seat, a glum expression on his usually mask-like features. Elsa's fingers brushed against his arm, and he closed his eyes briefly, groaning. Elsa sighed quietly. She wasn't sure what she could say without causing a scene or making things worse or just alerting everyone else about their relationship.

"This club _sucks,"_ a whiny voice said, breaking the scrawling of letters on papers and shuffling of notes.

"Then why don't you leave, Pitch?" someone else answered in a dull monotone.

"Maybe I will!" Pitch grumbled sullenly. Then, he grabbed his things and bristled. "I'm going for a walk!"

"No one cares!" Jack hissed under his breath.

"Be nice," Elsa murmured quietly.

Jack scoffed. "You know what? I'm out of here, too." He got up. Then, he paused, meeting her eyes briefly. "Come with?"

Elsa pursed her lips together but nodded. "Alright then."

 **Behind Her Smile**

"—you know, it's just _pathetic_ how Flynn can just act like nothing's wrong! How shameless _is_ he, exactly?"

Elsa sighed, exasperated. "Jack, _you're_ acting like nothing's wrong!" she breathed incredulously.

"I mean, seriously!" Jack continued on, words stinging bitterly. "He had to take _scum_ as his girlfriend! How wrong is _that?"_

"Jack," Elsa said, struggling to keep her voice under control. They were approaching the garden, something Elsa grasped as a crumb of comfort. At least Jack would probably calm down in there. It usually did the trick. "They're not _scum,"_ Elsa argued as they pushed through the doors into the garden. The perfumed scent of rose garlands filled the air briefly, its aroma strangely disconcerting.

"No, you're right," Jack said, gaze darkening so much as he snapped a twig in half that Elsa knew that his answer wasn't because he had a sudden change of heart. "They're _worse_ than scum," he spat.

Elsa fought the urge to glare at him. "Jack, you can't talk about your peers like that!"

"Why not?" Jack demanded. "Besides, it's not even the fact that Flynn decided to go falling for _Ariel._ Much." He snorted in disgust. "How would _you_ feel if one of the closest people in the world to you started keeping _secrets_ from you?" His words dug in deeper—sharper—than Elsa had expected. His eyes were swirling with fury-darkened frost, jaw set in a stubborn way.

"You know what?" Elsa placed a hand on her hip. "You honestly had no idea what went down! And it's not like your way of over-exaggerating everything helped at all! Hell, if you were just a _bit_ more understanding, maybe you and Flynn wouldn't be at each other's throats all the time now!" Elsa shook her head, annoyed. "You have no idea what Flynn was even thinking, so really, you have no right to judge."

Jack stopped walking and whirled around to stare at her, expression wide with incredulity. Elsa stopped walking, too, and met his gaze evenly despite the dread curling in her stomach. A voice whispered in Elsa's head darkly: _the truth is going to come out. It's going to come out... It's almost time, Elsa._ Swallowing thickly, Elsa shoved the voice into the back of her head, ignoring it.

 _"I don't have a right to judge them?"_ Jack repeated, his eyes blazing with new fury. "I can't judge someone who I considered a brother? He hurt me in the one way he could've, Elsa! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Are you even listening to _me?"_ Elsa retorted. "You weren't there! You don't live inside Flynn's head! How would you know what's going on?!"

A long, tense silence filled the air, and though Jack's gaze was a mixture of incredulity and fury, Elsa dug her heels into the ground, meeting his eyes with the self-same aggravation. She was _sick and tired_ of Jack just acting like Flynn had committed manslaughter or something! For God's sake, it was a _relationship,_ and Flynn was _happy._ Why couldn't Jack just _respect_ that? Why couldn't he just _understand_ that? Why couldn't he just _accept_ it?!

"Why are you defending him?" Jack demanded, eyes narrowing. "You barely even _know_ Flynn!"

"That doesn't matter! The way you're treating this is just all _wrong,_ Jack! Can't you see?"

"Really? How so?" Jack challenged.

"You're not even letting him explain! From what you told me, you just blew up in his face!" Elsa crossed her arms. "Yes, he kept things from you! But it's not like you haven't lied to others before, either!"

"You don't get to say that!"

"Why not?!"

"Because you've been keeping secrets, too!"

Elsa trembled with fury. "Like _what?"_ she spat.

"I don't know! How about maybe the fact that your dad is stuck in a hospital with lung problems, and you didn't even tell me about it!"

Elsa fell silent immediately, but her thoughts thrashed around with a million thoughts. How did he find out? Who told him? Did Rapunzel—?"

"And before you say anything else, I didn't find out from one of _your_ friends!" Jack said quietly, but the change in his tone startled Elsa more than anything. It was low and quiet— _dangerously_ quiet. Like the calm before the storm. ...as if he thought that this _was_ the calm before the storm. As if all the insults thrown at each other before was just nothing.

The fury had settled in Jack's eyes. It was gone. Utter betrayal had replaced it. And this scared Elsa more than anything. She would've preferred the anger. It wasn't like she wanted to keep yelling at him, but at least the fury was easier to understand. She had dealt it before. It was familiar, though not exactly wanted. This was something new altogether.

The look in his eyes—the look in his eyes that said _do I even know you at all?_ —scared her more than anything. She didn't know how to react.

"You don't even trust me!" Jack retorted sharply, tone venomous. "You've been _lying_ to me! How dare you defend Flynn!"

"I was trying to protect you!" Elsa shouted back, feeling like she was grasping at straws. "My parents always did that! Telling you would be as if I just threw you into a burning building! How could I do that?!"

"It's not like you haven't done it before!"

Silence.

Elsa felt her expression crumble. Her knees felt weak underneath her. _Did...did he just say that?_ He _knew_ how much Elsa blamed herself because of her mother's death. Yes, Elsa hadn't set the building on fire that her mother was in, but it still affected her all the same. Survivor's guilt.

"How _dare_ you!" Elsa cried out, sorrow and fury making her voice stronger. "You have _no right_ to say that! You—you—"

"Maybe if you stopped lying to them all the time, they might've actually stayed with you!" Jack glared. "Maybe your mother wouldn't be dead—maybe your dad wouldn't have the fire's aftermath in his lungs!"

"Don't you dare talk about my parents!" Elsa was trembling. "You know—you _know_ how much I struggle with that! You know more than anyone else, you— _you sick, sorry excuse for a person!"  
_

 _"What_ did you just—?"

"Oh, shut up! Stop acting like you're perfect!" Elsa screeched. "You're _not!_ You've made mistakes! You've hurt people! _You_ can't judge _me_ for anything!"

Elsa started laughing, a twisted sort of maniacal laughter that belonged to those chucked and discarded into psychiatry wards. It gripped at her, and when she heard herself, she wanted to stop. But something inside her wouldn't let her. The laughter rang out in the room, sounding odd and broken against everything else. It was plain hysteria in its purest form.

Jack's voice broke through the laughter.

"You're wrong."

The statement was soft—and surprisingly gentle. It caused Elsa to stop laughing and stare at him. "What?"

Jack's gaze was cold. "I haven't hurt _every girl_ I've been with. Tooth enjoys my games."

 _"Tooth enjoys my games."_ That small statement was simple, just four words, but it spoke volumes.

Jack had never really told Elsa about any of his past flings, probably because he either didn't really care much about them or because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. What the reason, it obviously didn't hold true anymore.

 _"Tooth **enjoys** my games." _He was still seeing someone else.

Elsa was hurt. She was mortified and hurt and _livid._ She didn't even _think_ about her actions and the consequences that might follow.

Elsa's fingers curled into a fist, and she socked Jack right in his face. The impressive athlete stumbled back, partly because of shock, partly because of the impact, and he stared at her, eyes wide.

"I _hate_ you," Elsa snarled viciously, and she wasn't sure about anything else in the moment except for the fact that she actually _meant those words._

There was no telling how long they stood in those positions until a very sharp gasp cut through the air, slicing through the tense atmosphere. Elsa whirled around to see the _absolutely scandalized_ face of Pitch. Slowly, through Elsa's foggy brain, several thoughts raced through. Pitch had been going for a walk, he had heard them! No, no, no, no, _no!_

"Pitch!" Elsa exclaimed. "Wait!"

But it was too late. Pitch darted off. He might not be the brightest, but he was _notorious_ at sharing gossip.

He was going to tell everyone _everything._

Elsa turned back anxiously towards Jack. "Jack, if Pitch reaches everyone else before we get him, he's going to tell everyone about us! He's going to tell everyone about everything! They'll know about us, they'll know that you—" Elsa stopped, realizing that Jack was still staring at her, expression strangely vacant, _devoid_ of all emotions. Confused, Elsa took a step back.

Realization came in slowly, then all at once. "You don't care."

"Let Pitch tell them." Jack's eyes were hard once more. Then, he took a step back. "It doesn't matter anymore. We're through."

Then, Jack left the garden. His cold eyes burned into Elsa's memory.

For someone who hated the cold so much, she thought that he suited the season quite well.

 **Behind Her Smile**

When Elsa darted into the cafeteria, she felt like all eyes were on her. ...oh wait. All eyes _were_ on her.

One look from all her classmates confirmed all her worst fears.

Anna was staring at her with wide, shocked eyes, speechless for once. Rapunzel was glaring at the entrance, as if she was just _waiting_ for Jack to stroll right in with his usual cocky fashion, but there was something else in Rapunzel's gaze... Hans was staring at the ground, face flushed and hands stowed roughly in his pockets. Elsa was willing to bet that those hands were curled into fists. She had never seen him so _agitated._ Livid. Hurt. Embarrassed. So many words fit the profile...

Balking, Elsa stared around wildly. Even when she closed her eyes, she couldn't escape the vivid images of Jack, Hans, Rapunzel, Anna—all those stares...just, just _judging_ her.

With another wild breath, Elsa raced out of the cafeteria and headed straight to her room. She curled up into a shapeless lump on the corner of the room, arms hugging her legs as the tears she had held back for so long finally escaped her vise-like grip and cascaded down her face in broken tears. She was barely aware of someone's arms wrapping around her, but when she looked up, she saw that it was Rapunzel.

Rapunzel's lips twisted. "I'm so sorry," she murmured softly.

"You t-t-tried to w-w-warn me," Elsa whimpered brokenly, her gaze blurring through the tears. "I should've—should've l-l-l-listened to you. He _hates_ me now, Rapunzel!"

"It's his loss," Rapunzel breathed.

Sobs wracked Elsa's body. "I-I—I _loved_ him, Rapunzel...and now, he hates me! He hates me, Rapunzel, he _hates_ me!"

 **Behind Her Smile**

Lying against the cold stone wall of the academy, face no longer mask-like, head heavy with brooding dark thoughts—when did Jack become like one of those brooding cliches?

Elsa ruined him. She had absolutely ruined him.

Jack's face was still bruised where her right hook had gotten him, but the surface wound was nothing compared to the infractions she had inflicted upon his heart. He had refused to let the nurses treat him. They had practically thrown a hissy fit, something he might've been amused by in another lifetime. Or a happier era. But not now.

A dark wallowing feeling echoed through his chest. Jack wasn't sure what to make of it.

 _Their tears are filling up their glasses._ _No expression, no expression._

A long sigh gusted out of Jack's lips in one shaky white plume against the chill of the night air. It was exactly what he needed. The cold was cold enough to keep him awake and numb out some of his pain. _Pain._ What was pain, really?

Jack tipped his head towards the night sky. Not a single star was in the sky. He had stared at the self-same sky just a few nights ago, and stars had dusted the sky in perfect arrays. It was like death had crossed the skies, too.

Jack leaned back against the cold stone wall, eyes half-closed.

 _Hide my head, I wanna drown my sorrow._ _No tomorrow, no tomorrow..._

* * *

 **QotD: What song has been stuck in your head recently?**

* * *

 **A/N: Well, things certainly turned...dark. I'm guessing that a lot of you didn't really expect something like this. I mean, after all, Jack and Elsa _just_ got together last chapter, and now...they're just...not. I'll be honest: it wasn't an easy chapter to write. I poured hours contemplating this chapter; whether I should cut it in half and put half the angst in the next chapter, whether to put in certain phrases, whether to even put this chapter here instead of starting with a fresh slate.  
**

 **...what a way to end a chapter posted on freaking Christmas, right? Sorry about that. But that's what you get when I've been listening to Riverdale's cover of 'Mad World.' And can we take a moment to appreciate how great that cast is? They can really sing: Cami, Madelaine, Lili, Ashleigh, Vanessa (man, why am I just listing the girls?).  
**

 **But you know how the song goes: _when people run in circles, it's a very, very mad world..._**

 **You didn't just expect me to give Jack and Elsa a happy ending, right? Even though they probably deserve it and stuff. Some questions will be answered in the next chapter, other questions will be answered in _future_ chapters. Like, probably after chapter seventeen. Or something...  
**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated (criticism _and_ praise) though not necessary. But what writer _doesn't_ like reviews? ;)**

 **~Darkwind**


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